VICTORIA, B.C.: Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer’s private member’s bill to mandate dashboard cameras in commercial vehicles has passed third reading in the B.C. Legislature, making British Columbia the first Canadian jurisdiction to require commercial dash cameras.

Bill M217, the Dashboard Cameras in Commercial Vehicles Act, passed at every stage with unanimous, bi-partisan support. It requires outward-facing dash cameras on commercial trucks travelling B.C. highways and will come into force six months after receiving Royal Assent.

“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 Stamer. “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.”

Stamer first called for mandatory dash cameras in 2023, as Mayor of Barriere, following a series of fatal crashes on Highway 5. With Clearwater Mayor Merlin Blackwell and Chief George Lampreau of Simpcw First Nation, he championed the measure at the Union of B.C. Municipalities, where it passed with broad support.

The B.C. Trucking Association has endorsed the bill, noting that in 75 to 80 per cent of collisions involving a commercial vehicle, the commercial driver is not at fault. Outward-facing cameras capture that evidence immediately, protecting professional drivers and speeding up investigations.

The bill covers only outward-facing cameras, not cameras inside the cab, addressing privacy concerns raised in committee.

“Good ideas shouldn’t belong to one party,” Stamer said. “Every member who voted for this heard from constituents who’ve lost people on our highways. This is what the Legislature should look like.”

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Media Contact:
Francesca Guetchev, Press Secretary
Francesca.Guetchev@leg.bc.ca
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