North Vancouver calls for changes so minor crashes can be cleared more quickly

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NORTH VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – How much time have you spent frustrated, stuck in traffic on a local bridge or highway because of a fender bender or other relatively minor car crash?

Some proposed changes to the Motor Vehicle Act would speed up the removal of the vehicles involved, as well as free up first responders.

The City and District of North Vancouver are bringing the idea to next week’s Union of BC Municipalities convention.

Both municipalities point to the mounting delays on the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge as the reason why. Right now, police have to show up and go through a mandatory and often lengthy investigation, including paperwork, for collisions with damages over $1,000.

The proposed changes would bump that threshold up to $10,000 and allow contractors to tow lesser-damaged vehicles out of the way more quickly. That applies to provincial highways, tunnels, and bridges.

This is a change some drivers can get behind, even if they’re not headed to the North Shore.

“I think so. I don’t drive that way, so I’m not entirely sure. But… we’re a major city. It’s bound to be everywhere,” one driver tells NEWS 1130.

“My first thought is always safety — I hope that they’re okay. But some [crashes] seem like they could be rushed off faster. I think it’s a decent idea.”

ICBC has suggested such a move might make it more difficult to report and record traffic collision data.

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