got a ticket stating right hand drives are ilegal in BC HELP

[sebastian]

Today I was stopped by a police officer on the sunshine coast where I live. He gave me a ticket that stated I had to park my vehicle and get it inspected. He told me that a person from the department of transport had just talked to him on friday and told him that all right hand drive vehicles had to be switched to left hand drives or be parked because they where illegal in BC. This makes little sense to me as my Delica was inspected upon arrival and passed. How can I register and insure a vehicle that is illegal!? Any lawyers out there... HELP? I have a copy of the ticket I can send out online, my email is sabs_email@yahoo.ca

[Artacoma]

NO WAY!!!

Is he gonna ticket the mailmen and garbage trucks with RHD too???

Can you post a scan of your ticket ? it should be interesting to see which law you broke.

Did you seriously have to park it? Is yuor van registered in BC?


WOW I'm stunned!!!!

You have to post at IVOAC.com theres a link at the top of the page they seem to have the legal scuttlebut

[BCDelica]

That's crazy, my Delica and many other right hand drive's have been driven all over BC regularly for quite a few years! I saw my first RHD Toyota Landcruiser the year I first moved to Powell River; ten years ago! That RCMP officer doesn't have a clue and is just "guessing" about hearsay from transport Canada officers.

Please post your experience to the IVOACwebsite, everybody there needs to know about your 'ticket'.

Could you please email me a copy.

That nut's, is there a court date with the ticket! It might note be a good idea to post a scan of the ticket, IMO.

Best Regards.

Edit - That's is just too crazy that happened too you, I have to add that I know many RCMP officers in this town and they wave at me when I drive by in a Delica.

[Thomas Porter]

That's ridiculous. Either you're shitting us or this cop needs his head examined.
Let's see this ticket. Did he maybe give you a warning about headlights or something? Send a scan.
If your giving us the straight goods, I recommend you get some research done and contact your local media ASAP.
What a pile.
You can't just convert a Delica to LHD either, it's not that easy.
Thomas Porter

[EnviroImports.com]

Did you have your copy of the inspection report with the yellow sticker on it, I was told you/we need to keep a copy of that in your vehicle at all times. for just such a reason, take your inspection report WITH sticker and go down to your rcmp and ask to speak to the staff seargent on duty..that should clear up your problem, If you dont have that or bought from someone , find out where it was inspected and GET a copy of your inspection report.. if you go down to the rcmp and they say you need to get the inspection , ask for the exact part of the motor vehicle act that states right hand drives are Illegal, as there is no part of it , that should clear it up also. but I dont see why you shouldent be able to get a copy of your inspection and decal.
Do you have a headache over this yet?
dont worry, the cop is just misinformed and this will get cleared up.

[visotzky]

sorry to hear that. That's just soooo stupid. We can only hope the rest of the cops actually listened. Otherwise it could be a long summer. I don't really need to be pulled over and told to go do an inspection in the middle of a road trip :( Keep us posted please.
Hang in there
Val

[Nisseman]

I read your post yesterday and proceeded to call my local ICBC/Motor Vehicle Branch Inspections contact this morning. I'm a licenced commercial vehicle inspector so I talk to these guys fairly regularly.
He was well aware of the Delica vans and says they do look at the usual items such as the headlights and daytime running lights when they do road side inspections, but he literally laughed out loud when I told him a RCMP officer had told you that RHD vehicles were prohibited in BC. He assured me this was not the case and he had heard nothing about any changes in the coming future. He actually commented on how neat he thought the Delica's were.
I also e-mailed ICBC and inquired as to any possible policy changes on their behalf. I received a long winded letter, which I will include, basically stating that if a vehicle can be legally imported under the current 15 year rule and go through inspection and be registered in BC then there is no other compliance issues. It also states that safety requirements for imported vehicles may come under review at some point, but does not specify RHD drive as an issue. Sounds to me like you ran into an overzealous poorly informed officer with a chip on his shoulder. Anyways, here is the letter wich I received from ICBC. Hopefully no one else has to deal with more of the same crap.


Thank you for your e-mail.

Transport Canada (http://www.tc.gc.ca) retains exclusive jurisdiction to determine whether a particular vehicle can be imported into Canada, regardless of whether or not it has right-hand drive. According to Transport Canada's website at http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/importation/impxus_e.htm, vehicles manufactured for sale in countries other than Canada and the United States of America that do not comply with the requirements of Canada's Motor Vehicle Safety Act, and cannot be altered to comply, are prohibited from being imported into Canada. Currently, the only exceptions to this rule are vehicles fifteen (15) years old or older, as determined by the month and year in which the vehicle was manufactured, and buses manufactured before January 1, 1971.

Currently, if Transport Canada will allow a vehicle into the country and it passes a mechanical and safety inspection at a Designated Inspection Facility in BC, ICBC is required to register, license, and insure the vehicle for on-road use. However, the issue you have raised is gaining prominence in many other Canadian jurisdictions as well. The Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA), in which all Candian jurisdictions participate, is lobbying Transport Canada, with a view to having greater numbers of these vehicles comply with uniform, federally-mandated safety standards.



Once again, thank you for taking the time to contact us.


Vince
Customer Contact
ICBC

[Adrock]

cant wait til i get my ticket...

[Dawg]

I've had the opposite reaction from the PD's. They like coming to the curb side.

[Green1]

I've had the opposite reaction from the PD's. They like coming to the curb side.

ummm... with a comment like that I have to ask... you get pulled over often?

[collector]

That cop sounds like a real dickhead- I bet you 10 bucks he's a newbie. (fresh from Depot)
Any situation that they don't understand or aren't sure of, they will overreact to, because after all, they are THE LAW!!! and can't be questioned or second guessed. (for example, that poor kid who got shot in the back of the head while in a RCMP drunktank, I can't remember where it happened).
I'm sure when you go to court and beat this ridiculous ticket, he will be on the prod for any RHD vehicle to find something that is "not up to inspection standards". (jerkoff)