Letter dated Nov 28, 2019 from Mayor Fred Haynes to Premier John Horgan

RE: Modernizing the Motor Vehicle Act

We compliment you that British Columbia is recognized as a leader on so many levels. Consequently, Saanich Council received with disappointment your Deputy Director, South Coast Region's letter of November 5, 2019 (attached). We believe continued inaction to update the Motor Vehicle Act is concerning and contradicts a number of Provincial plans, studies and publications. We question why outdated statutory speed limits are retained while we continue to see unacceptable fatalities, collisions, and serious injury rates on our roads, far higher than many other progressive countries.

For the past three years local governments have been waiting, hoping, for change following the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General’s January 2016 publication of Moving to Vision Zero: Road Safety Strategy Update and Showcase of Innovation in British Columbia. And then the March 2016 publication from the Provincial Health Officer, Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Reducing the Impact of Motor Vehicle Crashes on Health and Well-being in British Columbia. Understandably, there was a period of silence as these documents circulated through government agencies and local municipalities followed by the Provincial Election in early 2017.

In the past couple of years we've seen two more plans, Move Commute Connect from CleanBC in December 2018 and most recently the BC Active Transportation Design Guide. Taken together, we have four excellent planning documents and it is time for action. Specifically, significant updates to the Motor Vehicle Act to support, protect and encourage healthy transportation choices and much safer roads.

The current legislative reality of enacting municipal bylaws to change the speed limit on every block of every street is an administrative burden, but not one that can't be overcome. Rather, it is the financial burden and visual clutter of having to install the tens of thousands of signs province-wide that is at issue. More importantly, the current piecemeal nature in which speed limits are being lowered lacks consistency, effectiveness and safety. More cost-effective, consistent and safer solutions rest with changes that can be made through the Motor Vehicle Act.

We are looking for changes to your laws governing our roads to help end the epidemic of road crash fatalities, serious injuries, collisions, and near misses. We believe this is an opportunity for leadership from our Honourable Premier in directing action similar to the nation-leading impaired driving laws enacted in 2011 which were followed by an immediate and sustained drop in fatalities and serious injuries.

The broad and far reaching support for this change across British Columbia is shown by endorsed resolutions at UBCM in 1999, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2015, and 2019. As fellow politicians we understand that some issues are so large they transcend multi-election cycles and party lines. This is evident by the repeated discussions at UBCM. Road safety is not a political issue that can be continuously delayed and deferred, with endless studies and reports that wither with each change of government. We must do better. We can do better.

On behalf of the District of Saanich, and in the spirit of your leadership for all communities in British Columbia, we respectfully ask that you act swiftly and make the changes to the Motor Vehicle Act needed to improve road safety in our wonderful province.

With hope,

Mayor Haynes

cc:

• Saanich Council
• The Honourable Claire Trevana, MLA, Minister of Transportation & Infrastructure
• MLAs of Greater Victoria
• Mayors of British Columbia
• President of the Union of British Columbia Municipalities