Motor Vehicle Act (MVA) Reform
The MVA establishes the rules for road transportation, and regulate the use of a bicycle on B.C. roads.
Literally the rules of the road, the MVA (Motor Vehicle Act [RSBC 1996]) is the set of laws that is the legal statute that covers all road users in BC, including cyclists and pedestrians, including wheelchairs and personal mobility device users, as well as related regulations for Motor E-bikes, Bike Safety Helmets, Minimum Passing Distances, and Violations.
The MVA has rules that apply to cyclists and pedestrians, just as they do for motor vehicle operators. Cycling rules cover everything from lane position, hand signals, helmet use, passing, and yielding, to your responsibilities if you’re involved in a crash.
MVA Updates
According to the MVA, a person on a bicycle “has the same rights and duties as driver”, and since it came into effect in 1957, the MVA has been amended many times to address road safety and support cycling as a mode of transportation.
The BC Cycling Coalition has been invited by provincial government bodies such as the Ministry of Transportation and Transit, Ministry of Finance, and Special Committees, and agencies like ICBC, BC Ferries and TransLink, to participate in consultations and review of policies, proposed legislation, and regulations related to cycling and active transportation, since we were founded in 1998.
From 2014 through 2018, the BC Cycling Coalition participated in a multi-stakeholder Road Safety Law Reform Group, supporting and endorsing policy reviews and recommendations to the provincial government on amendments to the MVA, called “Modernizing the BC Motor Vehicle Act”
In 2021, the BC Cycling Coalition led a member-funded campaign for the recognition of a minimum passing distance in the MVA, including a resolution at the 2021 Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) Convention, where it was endorsed and submitted to the provincial government for response
In spring 2023, the BC Government passed Bill 23 which included a series of amendments and additions to the MVA, including introduction of minimum passing distances, and stronger penalties for unsafe road behaviour. A new definition of road user was also created—vulnerable road user—alongside sections demanding a higher standard of care by drivers.
Calls for MVA Reform
Increases to crash and casualty crash rates in B.C. have a disproportionate impact on the lives of vulnerable road users. The BC Cycling Coalition believes stronger laws to protect all road users from the risks of motor vehicle speeds, driver distraction and impairment, violations and improper vehicle use must be considered in future amendments to the MVA.
A more fully reformed Motor Vehicle Act would include stricter rules and greater penalties focused on:
Improving the safety of all road users, especially vulnerable road users
Reducing conflicts between cyclists, pedestrians and motorists
Using evidence to identify changes that are the most likely to result in a reduction of crashes, injuries, and fatalities
MVA reform could include renaming the statute to reflect a greater focus on transportation equity, safety and accessibility (ie. “Road Safety, Transportation and Transit Act”).
Top 10 MVA Amendments
In 2023, the BC Cycling Coalition participated in an update to Modernizing the Motor Vehicle Act, led by HUB Cycling and including participation and endorsement of numerous local government, public health, NGO and private sector stakeholders.
Of the 15 recommendations in the 2023 paper, the BC Cycling Coalition supports prioritizing the following 5 MVA amendment recommendations:
30 km/h —Make 30 km/h the default for all local streets (no centre line)
No rights on red —Prohibit motor vehicles from turning right at red lights by default
3-Second Rule —Prohibit motor vehicles from following cyclists closer than a count of 3
No Blocking Bike Lanes—Prohibit blocking active travel lanes, including automated fines
Advance Green—Leading interval signal phasing for cycling/micromobility
30 km/h for Local Streets
The top recommended MVA amendment is a maximum travel speed of 30 km/h on neighbourhood streets as the default province-wide. Read more about the proposed Safe Speeds Law.
The Motor Vehicle Act is the legal statute covering all road users in B.C., including people on bicycles.