The fine for 鈥渄ooring鈥� a cyclist went up to $368 on Sept. 21, 2020.
The new fine 鈥� for opening the door of a parked car when it鈥檚 not reasonably safe to do so 鈥� is more than four times higher than the previous fine of $81, which was among the lowest in sa国际传媒, according to the provincial government.
鈥淒ooring can cause serious injury, and the new fine reflects that,鈥� Claire Trevena, sa国际传媒鈥檚 minister of transportation and infrastructure, said in a statement.
鈥淏ut it is preventable, which is why we are also investing in public education. We want to make sure everyone who uses the roads does so safely.鈥�
The government says that education, enforcement and the construction of active transportation infrastructure, will increase the road users鈥� safety.
sa国际传媒 has the highest percentage of active transportation trips for work commutes out of all provinces. In 2019, 10 per cent of British Columbians who commuted to work used active transportation, such as cycling.
Active modes of transportation are also popular among young British Columbians, with 33 per cent of school-aged children and 8 per cent of all college and university students using those transportation modes.
The provincial government says the higher fine, along with a public education and awareness campaign, will help raise the profile of cyclists and increase their safety on the roads by making drivers more aware of their actions.
鈥淚t is enormously dangerous to carelessly open a door into the pathway of a person moving on a bike,鈥� said North Vancouver-Lonsdale MLA Bowinn Ma.
鈥淭his increased fine sends a strong signal of the level of accountability that is expected of people who are operating a vehicle, even when the engine is off.鈥�
