When we loaned our adult son our family car to join friends at Whistler, British Columbia, for some winter recreation over the holidays, we learned a bitter lesson all visitors to Canada should be aware of: cars caught speeding 40 kph (24 mph) over the posted limit are automatically impounded for seven days. No presumption of innocence. No appeal. No discussion.
The British Columbia Motor Vehicle Act states: “Excessive speeding will also result in the immediate impoundment of the vehicle you are driving and costs: seven days for a first offence plus towing and storage costs.” And, while it may reduce traffic fatalities by forcing Canadian citizens to comply to posted speed limits or else, it will have little effect on visitors unaware of this draconian measure — other than stifle tourism.
Over the past 20 years, our family has spent a dozen holidays in British Columbia; now we have just one final visit planned to retrieve our family car — after a week of struggling to get to work, that is.
Michael Wandell
Leavenworth
