British Columbia passes law mandating dash cams for commercial vehicles

Lawmakers passed a bill making British Columbia “the first Canadian jurisdiction to require commercial dash cameras.”

On May 26, officials announced the passage of Bill M217, the Dashboard Cameras in Commercial Vehicles Act.

The bill go into effect six months after receiving federal approval, and will require outward-facing dash cameras on all commercial trucks traveling on B.C. roadways.

The bill also requires that the device is continuously recording while the truck is in operation, and that it is not obscured or prevented from recording.

Driver-facing cameras are not required under the bill.

“This bill started with families along Highway 5 who have buried loved ones after preventable crashes. It finishes with B.C. leading the country on commercial vehicle safety,” said Ward Stamer, who wrote the bill. “Dash cameras save lives. They hold drivers accountable. And they make sure that when a crash happens, the evidence is there, not lost, not disputed, not buried in a year-long investigation.”

Ward has been pushing for mandatory dash cams for trucks since 2023, when a series of fatal crashes took place on Highway 5 while he was Mayor of Barriere.

The bill was endorsed by the B.C. Trucking Association. The group pointed out that commercial vehicle drivers are not at fault in 75 to 80% of crashes involving a commercial truck, and that dash cams can help protect truck drivers and aid in crash investigations.