British Columbia Outlaws Self-Driving Cars

by Chris Teague

Published: April 17th, 2024

british columbia outlaws self driving cars

Americans, especially Californians, have good reason to be skeptical of autonomous vehicles. There have been multiple crashes and plenty of annoying traffic holdups as companies test robotaxis and other vehicles, and now, some Canadians are taking action to prevent similar issues.

The British Columbia provincial government moved to ban autonomous vehicles, making anything exceeding the standard for SAE Level 2 driving illegal. As The Drive noted, the government said that the “Motor Vehicle Act prohibits a person from driving, or permitting the driving of, a Level 3, 4, or 5 automated vehicle. This means that highly automated self-driving vehicles cannot yet be driven on public roads in B.C., nor can highly automated self-driving feature be used.” Fines could reach $2,000 Canadian for offenses, and some violations could result in up to a six-month prison sentence, though it’s worth noting that much less severe consequences are likely.

Only a handful of consumer-ready cars currently offer higher than Level 2 autonomy, including some high-end Mercedes models. The ruling does not affect Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving, Ford’s BlueCruise, or GM’s Super Cruise.

Despite sliding under the radar, Ford and Tesla have come under fire for their driving systems’ driver monitoring and safety capabilities, as vehicles from both companies have been involved in deadly crashes over the last year. General Motors’ Cruise autonomous vehicle operations are slowly coming back online after a halt of testing due to a crash, though it’s unclear how widespread the recovery will be or how long it will take to get there.

[Image: Engel Ching via Shutterstock]

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Chris Teague

Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.

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2 of 14 comments

Doc423 on Apr 17, 2024

SDC's are still a LONG way off, 15-20 years minimum.

3 Reply
MaintenanceCosts on Apr 18, 2024

Just here to say thanks for the gorgeous picture of Vancouver, which may be my favorite city in the world.

2 Reply

Recent Comments

Theflyersfan Non-performance models, probably the Civic based on the fact the interior feels and looks better in the Honda. Both of them are going to drive like adequate appliances with small engines and CVTs and get decent mileage, so this is based on where my butt will rest and things my hands and fingers will touch.Toyota doesn't have an answer to the Civic Si so the Honda wins by default.CTR vs GR Corolla. One dealer by me is still tacking on $10,000 markups for the CTR and good luck with the GR Corolla and the "allocation" system. There's that one dealer in Missouri that I pasted their ad a while back wanting $125,000 for a mid-level GR. Nope. But cars.com is still showing markups. Both of these cars will have little depreciation for a while, so the markups equal instant loss. It looks like Cincinnati-area dealers are done with CTR markups. So this is a tough choice. I don't like the Corolla interior. It looks and feels inexpensive. I'm glad Honda toned down the exterior but the excessive wing still looks immature for such an expensive car that 20-somethings likely cannot afford. FWD vs AWD. With price being an object, and long-term maintenance a thing, I'd go with the Honda with a side eye at the Golf R as a mature choice. All with stick shifts.
ChristianWimmer Great first car for someone’s teenage daughter.
SCE to AUX Imagine the challenge of trying to sell the Ariya or the tired Leaf.
Offbeat Oddity I would have to test them out, but the Corolla might actually have a slight edge. I'd prefer the 2.0 in both cars, but to get one in a Civic with a decent amount of equipment, I'd be stuck with the Sport where the fuel economy suffers vs. the Corolla. If the Civic EX had a 2.0, it would be a much tougher decision.
User get rid of the four cylinders, technology is so advanced that a four litre V8 is possible.. and plausible.. cadillac had a serious problem detuning v8s in the past, now theyre over-revving the fours and it sounds horrible.. get rid of the bosses and put the engineers in the front seat..