B.C. vehicle impound fees going up as province looks to curb surging road deaths

The wreckage of a fatal crash on the Trans-Canada Highway in West Vancouver, B.C., in June 2024.

A surge in traffic deaths on British Columbia's roadways has prompted the provincial government to impose stiffer penalties on dangerous drivers.

Fifty-one people were killed on B.C. highways in July, the highest single-month death rate in 11 years, B.C. Emergency Health Services said Thursday, citing data from the provincial coroner's office.

The B.C. public safety ministry says it is responding to the rise in traffic deaths over the past two summers by raising towing and storage fees for drivers caught excessively speeding, street racing and driving while impaired, starting Sept. 1.

"Too many lives have been lost due to reckless and dangerous driving, particularly this summer," Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said in a news release Thursday.

"We're making it clear that if you endanger others on our roads, you will face serious consequences, both criminally and financially."

The flat-rate towing fee for impounded vehicles is increasing from $79.78 to $110 next month, while the per-kilometre towing rate is rising from $2.41 to $3.32, the ministry announced.

Storage fees for impounded vehicles are also going up by as much as 96 per cent, rising to between $32 and $40 per day depending on the area where the infraction occurred.

The province says it expects the larger penalties to help deter the kinds of reckless driving that puts lives at risk.

"By imposing stricter financial consequences on dangerous driving, we are sending a very clear message that reckless behaviour on our roads will not be tolerated," Fiona Wilson, president of the B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police, said in the release.

"Our goal is to protect all road users and reduce the tragic loss of life that too often results from these preventable actions," she added.

Last year, 331 people died in automobiles incidents in B.C., higher than the 10-year average of 301 deaths per year, according to data from the provincial coroner's office.

More than half of those who died were drivers or passengers in personal vehicles, while 18 per cent were pedestrians and 13 per cent were motorcyclists, according to the 2023 data released last month.