For the first time in BC history, the month of April has been dedicated province-wide to a single traffic enforcement theme: Slow Down, Move Over. Every major police agency in the province, led by BC Highway Patrol, is using April 2026 to focus enforcement attention on drivers who fail to slow down and move away from emergency vehicles, tow trucks, construction crews, and maintenance workers stopped on the side of the road.
The rule at the centre of the campaign is known as the 70/40 rule. It’s been on the books for years, but most BC drivers don’t know it by name and many don’t know it exists. That is, until they get a ticket. That gap in public awareness is precisely why BC Highway Patrol has launched a dedicated enforcement month.
Here’s what the 70/40 rule actually requires, what a ticket costs, and what to do if you receive one.
The 70/40 Rule, Explained
The rule is designed to be easy to remember, and it works like this:
- If the posted speed limit is 80 km/h or higher, you must slow down to 70 km/h or less when passing a stopped vehicle with flashing amber, red, or blue lights.
- If the posted speed limit is below 80 km/h, you must slow down to 40 km/h or less when passing that stopped vehicle.
On top of slowing down, drivers must also move into the furthest lane of traffic away from the stopped vehicle when it is safe to do so. On a multi-lane highway, that typically means moving one lane over to give the stopped vehicle and its occupants a full lane of buffer.
The rule is set out in section 47.02 of the BC Motor Vehicle Act Regulations, and it applies to a wide range of vehicles:
- Police, fire, and ambulance
- Tow trucks
- Utility and maintenance vehicles
- Construction vehicles
If you see flashing amber, red, or blue lights on any of these vehicles stopped on the roadside, the rule applies.
An Unprecedented Step
This is the first time BC has dedicated an entire month to Slow Down, Move Over enforcement province-wide. Corporal Michael McLaughlin of BC Highway Patrol framed the campaign plainly: “Slow Down, Move Over is not just being polite, it’s the law.”
In practical terms, a dedicated enforcement month means a few things for drivers:
- More officers watching specifically for 70/40 violations on BC highways and municipal arterials.
- Coordination across police agencies — this isn’t just an RCMP initiative. Municipal forces across BC are participating.
- More media attention, meaning more drivers will become aware of the rule over the course of April, which usually translates into higher enforcement activity as officers take advantage of the visibility.
If you regularly drive past tow trucks on Highway 1, construction zones on the Sea-to-Sky, or maintenance crews on the Coquihalla, this April you are meaningfully more likely to be stopped for a 70/40 violation than you were last year.
The Penalty: $173 and What Else?
The direct fine for disobeying the Slow Down, Move Over law is $173. On its face, that’s a relatively modest traffic ticket. But the ticket alone isn’t the whole story.
A 70/40 conviction is a Motor Vehicle Act violation sthat appears on your driving record. Depending on the nature of the stop and the officer’s discretion, the violation may be written under related provisions that carry penalty points, and repeated convictions contribute to ICBC’s Driver Risk Premium calculations. In other words: a single ticket is $173, but multiple moving violations in a short period can push an otherwise clean driver into premium territory that costs hundreds more per year in insurance.
It’s also worth noting that Slow Down, Move Over tickets sometimes overlap with other charges.
If an officer stops you for failing to move over and also observes speeding, an unsafe lane change, or following too closely, you may face a more serious ticket or multiple tickets arising from the same incident.
Practical Advice for Drivers
The rule is easier to follow than most drivers think. The problem is that people forget about it until the moment matters. Here are some tips that can help you follow the rule more easily.
Scan for flashing lights early. The key to a safe 70/40 response is noticing the stopped vehicle early enough to slow down and change lanes smoothly. On a highway, that usually means starting to react at least a few hundred metres out.
Move over when you can, slow down always. If traffic makes it unsafe to change lanes, the law recognizes that. But slowing down to 70 (or 40) is not conditional on whether you can move over. You must reduce your speed regardless.
Remember the lights, not the vehicle. Drivers often associate Slow Down, Move Over with police cars. The rule applies equally to tow trucks, highway maintenance, utility workers, and construction crews with amber lights. Amber counts.
Don’t rely on other drivers. On busy highways, drivers in the right lane sometimes can’t slow down without risking a rear-end collision. If the driver ahead of you fails to slow, that doesn’t excuse your own obligation.
If You’ve Received a Slow Down, Move Over Ticket
With dedicated April enforcement, a meaningful number of BC drivers are going to see 70/40 tickets in their mailboxes over the coming weeks. If you’re one of them, a few things to know:
You have 30 days to dispute. Like every BC violation ticket, a Slow Down, Move Over ticket can be disputed. You have 30 days from the date of service to sign the back of the ticket and file it with a provincial court registry, or to dispute it online through the Violation Ticket Dispute process.
Paying is pleading guilty. Many drivers assume that paying the $173 is the fastest way to put the ticket behind them. It is, but it’s also a conviction registered on your driving record. If you already have other recent violations, paying without disputing may push you into premium or review territory you could have avoided.
These tickets are disputable. Slow Down, Move Over cases often come down to specific factual questions: what were the posted speed limits, how was your speed measured, could the officer actually see the lights flashing from your perspective, were the lights actually activated, was there a safe opportunity to move over? A police officer that can’t answer those questions with confidence may not proceed.
Act before the deadline
Waiting past 30 days converts your ticket into an automatic conviction. If you’re unsure whether to dispute, talk to a lawyer early rather than late.
BC’s first dedicated Slow Down, Move Over month is both a safety campaign and an enforcement campaign. The goal is to protect roadside workers and first responders… people who put themselves in some of the most dangerous positions on BC roads every day. And the tool used to do so is a combination of public awareness and real tickets for drivers who don’t comply.
Know the 70/40 rule. Watch for amber, red, and blue lights. Slow down and move over whenever you see them. And if you do end up with a ticket, remember that you have options… but only if you act within the 30-day window.
