BC’s New Driving Rules: Sober Supervisors and Tougher IRP Consequences
British Columbia has introduced changes to its graduated licensing regulations that could have significant consequences for learner and novice drivers. In Episode 477 of Driving Law, Kyla Lee and Paul Doroshenko examine the new rules for supervisors, the difficulties police may face enforcing them and what an Immediate Roadside Prohibition could now mean for drivers working toward their full Class 5 licence.
Under the new regulations, learner-driver supervisors must remain awake and legally capable of driving throughout the trip. Kyla and Paul discuss the challenges of determining whether a supervisor has been drinking, the lack of authority to compel a breath sample from a passenger and the possibility that a learner could face a ticket because their supervisor no longer meets the requirements. They also examine the reduction in the minimum supervisor age from 25 to 22.
The changes also affect novice drivers who receive Immediate Roadside Prohibitions. Even a three-day IRP could restart the qualifying period for a full Class 5 licence, potentially adding years to the graduated licensing process. Kyla and Paul question the fairness of these consequences and explain why drivers may now have a much greater incentive to dispute roadside prohibitions.
And this week’s Ridiculous Driver of the Week features a person reportedly riding a gas-powered armchair down a roadway in Burnaby.
