‘It’s going to make our roads safer’: Kamloops MLA Stamer’s dashcam bill clears third reading

Stamer’s bill was at this stage earlier this month but government MLAs raised issues around privacy and regulatory concerns. Those concerns were quickly resolved and Stamer said he’s pleased to see the bill move forward before the legislature’s summer break.

“It really hasn’t changed much other than the specifications and the definitions of what actually is a commercial vehicle,” Stamer said. “We were originally at 8,200 kilograms as gross vehicle weight as that’s where CVSE begins its enforcement. They wanted it at 11,793 kilograms which basically identifies a transport truck. I’m fine with that change.”

B.C. Conservative MLA and Transportation Critic Harman Bhangu stood in the legislature Monday and voiced his support for Stamer’s bill.

“I support this bill and the reason why is it came from the trucking industry,” Bhangu said. “When you know there are going to be drivers in big trucks with dashcams, a lot of the other vehicles will now think again before they cut them off.”

“I’ve been in situations where you’re driving straight down and someone nips in front of you and everyone’s blaming the trucker.”

One such instance occurred last month, where an Alberta driver was caught driving dangerously near Chase. Dash cam video from a truck was instrumental in identifying and ticketing the 59-year-old driver from Red Deer.

Dash cameras also helped determine what happened after a Kamloops transit bus driver was killed in a crash on Ord Road last October. While the truck was equipped with a forward-facing dash camera, it did not capture the impact after the bus driver suffered a medical episode while behind the wheel.

“The bus driver did have a dashcam and it showed the driver actually drove into the back of the truck,” Stamer said. “It was unfortunate the driver passed away but it also exonerated the driver of the tanker truck of any wrongdoing whatsoever.”

“That’s what the benefit of dash cameras will provide.”

Stamer began advocating for dash cameras while he was mayor of Barriere following numerous crashes and other long-standing safety concerns along the Yellowhead corridor north of Kamloops. He tabled legislation in October last year, about one year after he was elected MLA.

B.C. is the first province to mandate this technology and Stamer said discussions between the provincial and federal governments, as well as industry, will determine how the legislation is rolled out and enforced. He anticipated it could take six months before all commercial vehicles will be required to have dash cameras and said there is room to expand in the future.

“Many of our taxis and Uber services are putting dashcams into their vehicles and I could see an opportunity in the future to expand,” Stamer said. “As for public use, absolutely not. It should be a choice and I wouldn’t want government to tell people they have to go get a dashcam.”

“Right now, I’m extremely happy that at least we’re going to be able to mandate the larger trucks because at the end of the day, it’s going to make our roads safer.”

by Victor Kaisar

‘It’s going to make our roads safer’: Kamloops MLA Stamer’s dashcam bill clears third reading

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