British Columbians might soon be able to pay traffic fines online thanks to new legislation that was introduced today in the province.
If the legislation is passed, amendments to the Offence Act will allow new processes that flag dangerous drivers for additional safety-related sanctions, up to and including license suspension. The province expects these changes to help prevent crashes, saving lives in the process.
Additionally, the gains create a shift from paper to electronics tickets, also called e-ticketing, which allows tickets to be printed at the roadside. This will also speed up the ticket process and improve data entry errors.
“This new technology means safer roads for all British Columbians as it helps us to intervene more quickly with dangerous drivers by getting critical information entered into databases in real time. Modernizing this process allows police to spend less time on the roadside writing tickets, and allows drivers to pay their bills more conveniently,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, in a press statement.
As of right now, data from police tickets written roadside is entered in the province’s system up to four times, by police, ICBC and court staff, as well as other government organizations.
Further, convenience in terms of paying tickets is expected to increase, if the legislation is pushed through. Those being ticketed will then have the option to pay the ticket online, along with the existing options of by phone, mail or in person.
Police agencies throughout the province plan to pilot test electronic ticketing devices and processes sometime this coming Spring 2018.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
