Speed limiting devices to become mandatory on heavy B.C. commercial trucks

Traffic moves along highway 1 in Burnaby, B.C., Tuesday, November 30, 2021. The B.C. Transportation Ministry says commercial trucks above a certain weight will soon be required to be fitted with technology to limit how fast they travel on provincial roadways. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

The British Columbia Transportation Ministry says commercial trucks above a certain weight will soon be required to be fitted with technology to limit how fast they travel on provincial roadways.

The ministry says the "speed-limiter devices" will be mandatory on April 5 for commercial trucks weighing more than 11,793 kilograms and if they were built after 1994.

An information bulletin from the Transportation Ministry says the technology will limit vehicles fitted with the devices to 105 kilometres per hour.

The ministry says the new requirement stems from amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act announced last year, and drivers found without a device or one that's improperly programmed will face a fine.

The province says some vehicles are exempt, such as emergency vehicles and motorhomes, and other provinces, including Ontario and Quebec, already require commercial trucks to be fitted with the technology.

The province also says that after June 1 commercial vehicles will require warning devices installed in truck cabs that alert drivers if a vehicle's "dump box" is raised.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 3, 2024.