B.C. law coming to mandate dashboard cameras for commercial vehicles
A private-members bill to mandate dash cameras on all commercial vehicles traveling B.C. highways has passed unanimously through the legislature.
B.C. Conservative member Ward Stamer says the bill started with families along Highway 5 in his Kamloops-North Thompson constituency who have buried their loved ones after preventable crashes.
Stamer says in a statement that it finishes with B.C. leading the country on commercial vehicle safety.
He says the cameras hold drivers accountable, and make sure that when a crash happens the evidence isn’t lost, disputed or “buried in a yearlong investigation.”
The statement says the B.C. Trucking Association (BCTA) endorsed the bill, noting that about 75% of collisions involving a commercial vehicle aren’t the fault of that driver.
The bill will come into force six months after receiving royal assent. Stamer called for mandatory dash cameras three years ago — when he was mayor of Barriere — after a series of fatal crashes on Highway 5.
“Good ideas shouldn’t belong to one party,” Stamer says in the statement issued Tuesday. “Every member who voted for this heard from constituents who’ve lost people on our highways. This is what the legislature should look like.”
The BCTA took to LinkedIn last night to share concerns it has on the law.
“BCTA supports road safety, and our Board has previously indicated that members are not opposed to the use of mandatory outward-facing dash cams. However, our position remains clear: this must be done on a national level,” it wrote.
“A province-by-province approach risks creating another patchwork of regulations for carriers operating across Canada, adding complexity, inconsistency, and unnecessary interprovincial trade barriers.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 26, 2026.
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that’s a great idea as well – practical also – I am sure that insurance companies would love the expanded pictures
The part of this that seems to be missing is enforcement. BC already has the speed limiter laws that are unenforceable. With the number of trucks on the road compared to the handful of CVSE inspectors, this seems like a wish. Even if the trucks have a camera, how does one know if it works or if it records? Often it appears that those who follow the rules are the ones you don’t need to worry about anyways.
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I am sure that when they are stopped at a scale the officer on duty should be able to ck their cameras to see any footage that has been uploaded – if nothing shows either the camera wasn’t turned on or perhaps just a dummy one to make it look good perhaps
Don’t haul anything to B.C. Let them starve.
Excellent idea – should be mandatory nation wide – and even more so for those who travel to the US as well will keep everyone on board with what actually happens / happened
should be mandatory for all vehicles – not just commercial vehicles
But should also be dual facing cameras as well that way it will be visible if the driver is distracted at the time of the accident as well
Way to go BC … good job!!
Rights violators like “Barb” are what is wrong with the world today. Barb, would you like us to put a camera in your washroom too so we can keep an eye on you?
Good thing, to have a camera because the footage can be used as evidence in case something happens and if you are playing by the rules there’s nothing to be worried about. Isn’t it ? My employer made cameras mandatory in all our fleet trucks a year ago, the cams are recording everything what happens in front of the truck nothing is recorded from the inside of the cab due to privacy complacency. So the statement about someone’s bathroom is a bit out of bounds, I think.
To make rear view cams mandatory on trucks should be taken into consideration as well because dangerous drivers are in the back as well ( tailgating) for instance.
So , go ahead make the cams mandatory ASAP not a problem at all !!
Keep on trucking and be save out there!
Please read the bill, it does not come in to force in 6 months…… it comes into force when regulations are enacted, which could be 6 months or 6 years.
I drove transport with no camera, with cameras-forward facing and cameras forward and driver facing. Obviously for collision investigation cameras are useful. Why not go to the next level? Have cameras a the mirror (one on each side). This way you get a more complete picture of everything the driver sees.