Should wealthy drivers pay higher fines for speeding? Many B.C. residents think so
Should wealthy drivers pay higher fines for speeding? Many B.C. residents think so
An RCMP officer writes a speeding ticket during a speed enforcement campaign in May.
Most British Columbians would support a system of "progressive punishment" that forces wealthier drivers to pay stiffer penalties when they're caught speeding, according to a new survey.
The Research Co. poll found 69 per cent of B.C. residents in favour of issuing fines based on a driver's disposable income and how fast they were going.
That's slightly higher than the 65 per cent support recorded across Canada. When it comes to political leanings, pollsters found similar levels of support across all three major parties – though there were variations based on class.
"Canadians in the highest income bracket are decidedly more dissatisfied with the concept of progressive punishment for speeding tickets," Research Co. president Mario Canseco said in a news release.
"Opposition to this course of action among Canadians who live in households earning more than $100,000 a year reaches 34 per cent, 10 points higher than the national average."
Progressive punishments for speeders have already been implemented in Finland and Switzerland, and the idea sparked debate across B.C. earlier this year when a city councillor in the Vancouver Island community of Saanich put forward a motion calling on the province to consider such a system locally.
No one on council seconded Teale Phelps Bondaroff's motion, however.
Research Co.'s survey was conducted online from March 18 to 20 among 1,000 Canadian adults, and the results were statistically weighted according to census figures for age, gender and region.
The survey's margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is pushing for special rapporteur David Johnston to 'step aside' from his role examining the issue of foreign interference before he embarks on public hearings.
New Democrat MP Jenny Kwan said Monday that Canada's spy agency has confirmed her long-held belief she is being targeted by the Chinese government, as the prime minister granted the NDP's wish to allow more party members to review top-secret intelligence.
William Karlsson, William Carrier and Jonathan Marchessault are finally getting another chance in the Stanley Cup Final, after the first one that came so quick for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Eastern Conference finals Most Valuable Player Jimmy Butler scored 28 points, and Caleb Martin had 26 points and 10 rebounds to help the eighth-seeded Miami Heat beat the Celtics 103-84 in Game 7 on Monday night and advance to the NBA Finals for the second time in four seasons.
Canadian political leaders and parliamentarians are denouncing a new law passed in Uganda that imposes harsh penalties, including the death penalty, for certain cases involving homosexuality.
There's a heightened risk of wildfires across the country during what has been one of the earliest fire seasons on record. From British Columbia to Nova Scotia, here's where the risk is highest.
New research from Penn State University found certain factors can contribute to reducing what’s known as the 'urban heat island' effect, and that climate knowledge can contribute to better city planning and design.
Capital Bike is encouraging Greater Victoria residents to choose cycling as a way to get around the region during "Go By Bike Week," which runs from May 29 to June 4.
One long-time electoral tradition came to an end on election day, when Postmedia announced there would be no printed newspaper announcing the winner in Calgary.
Over 170,000 elementary and high school students weighed in on the Alberta election and the NDP had to hope the real voters were listening, because they won the kids' vote.
The union representing the majority of Quebec's daycare workers is criticizing the government's decision to launch a skimpy 90-hour training program for people who want to be daycare workers but have no prior experience.
A Quebec driver who caused the death of another motorist when he swerved his truck to avoid hitting a family of ducks on the road has been sentenced to eight months in jail and a three-year driving ban.
A Winnipeg family is asking for help to find their missing teenage son whom they haven't seen since he left for school in the Fort Richmond area last Wednesday morning.
The body of a Winnipeg boy who fell into Sturgeon Falls on Saturday has been found following a desperate underwater search that lasted more than a day.
In a province where there are vast distances between cities and towns, one local group is hoping to get public support for an idea to bridge those gaps with a rail line.
The first twister of 2023 in the country touched down near Regina over the weekend, according to an analysis from the Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP).
One person from Estevan, Sask. is dead and another is seriously injured following a collision between a pickup truck and a motorcycle on May 28 near Fortuna, North Dakota.
The body of a Winnipeg boy who fell into Sturgeon Falls on Saturday has been found following a desperate underwater search that lasted more than a day.
The rural Oxford County intersection where an OPP officer and a school bus driver were killed Monday was less than a month away from becoming a four-way stop when the deadly crash happened.
It was a night of indecision at Waterloo region's catholic school board as trustees went back and forth trying to find the best approach to fill a vacant seat.
An RCMP officer writes a speeding ticket during a speed enforcement campaign in May.
