British Columbia is putting the brakes on self-driving cars. Their updated laws ban driving any car equipped for Level 3 (or higher) advanced driving assistance systems regardless of whether you use them.
This means even having the hardware in your car can lead to fines ranging from $368 CAD to $2,000 CAD or even up to six months in prison. There are only a few Level 3 cars globally and just two in North America (BMW’s 7 Series and i7 with a special package) but B.C. isn’t taking any chances.
Even though there are only a handful globally and just two in North America – Mercedes-Benz S-Class and EQS with a special package, but only certified in a few US states, B.C. has banned any car equipped for Level 3 or higher systems from their roads.
This applies even if you don’t use the feature with fines reaching $2,000 CAD and potential jail time. The province acknowledges that self-driving cars are the future, but they believe “further testing and policy development” are needed before allowing them on public roads.
For now, the only way to experience a Level 3 car in B.C. is through an approved pilot project.
To simplify, Level 3 systems can handle some driving tasks but require a human driver to take over when prompted. Level 4 and 5 vehicles are completely autonomous, and no driver is needed.
