[Newsbot]

Title: Lifetime ban for driver in crash that killed mother-to-be
Category: Law & Order
Posted By: Strutz
Date: 2011-07-18 18:42:16
Canadian

[raydan]

Is the driving lifetime ban only for BC... could he move to another province and get a licence?

[Brenda]

I dunno about this... I mean, everybody who causes an accident (fatal or not...) is guilty of dangerous driving. Everyone who is texting while driving or driving drunk is guilty of dangerous driving. Whether an accident occurred or not...

[Freakinoldguy]

Since driving without due care and attention isn't a criminal offense I can't see how he would be stopped from moving to another province or country and getting a license.

As the matter of fact any other province likely wouldn't know his BC License was suspeded because of the non criminal nature of the charge. So in theory he could never mention he had a license in another province and start again with a beginners license in his new province and carry on from there.

[martin14]

3 people is worth 2 thousand dollars....


Looks like the easiest way to kill someone is to just run them over.

[PublicAnimalNo9]

Brenda Brenda:

I dunno about this... I mean, everybody who causes an accident (fatal or not...) is guilty of dangerous driving. Everyone who is texting while driving or driving drunk is guilty of dangerous driving. Whether an accident occurred or not...

Well for some reason there wasn't enough evidence to nail the guy with a criminal charge. At least the lifetime driving ban is serious enough punishment to underlay the severity of his negligence.

And I really can't see why the Ministry in BC can't or wouldn't alert the other provinces, just in case.

[PostFactum]

Lifetime driving ban is good, for me it's something new in criminal law. Here we have only 10 years. Maybe that's cruel for man there, but I think they did one of the best preventions. If it will be working only in one province, system is not perfect, it need to be changed. Roads are not only BC, they're Canadian too.

[martin14]

PublicAnimalNo9 PublicAnimalNo9:

And I really can't see why the Ministry in BC can't or wouldn't alert the other provinces, just in case.

Since D/Ls are provincial, I don't know if the ban would be enforceable across Canada.

Criminal cases maybe, but without a criminal conviction, no problem.

[QBall]

$1:

Instead, one year after the collision Cochrane was charged with driving without due care and attention under the Motor Vehicle Act. The offence carries a maximum fine of $2,000 and maximum six-month prison sentence.

If that's the maximum sentence how did he get a lifetime driving ban? Methinks there is more to this than is being told. Most provinces you don't get a lifetime ban after 2 DUIs.

[Brenda]

QBall QBall:

$1:

Instead, one year after the collision Cochrane was charged with driving without due care and attention under the Motor Vehicle Act. The offence carries a maximum fine of $2,000 and maximum six-month prison sentence.

If that's the maximum sentence how did he get a lifetime driving ban? Methinks there is more to this than is being told. Most provinces you don't get a lifetime ban after 2 DUIs.

That was my idea too. I just do not get this...

I understand 2 people and an unborn baby were killed because of his "driving without due care". Everybody who causes an accident (with or without injuries or fatalities) is "driving without due care", otherwise, the accident would not have happened. What makes this so special? Because 2 people died? People die every day in traffic, but I have never heard of this before...

[andyt]

$1:

Abbotsford police recommended a charge of dangerous driving causing death, but were told there wasn't enough evidence for criminal charges.

Instead, one year after the collision Cochrane was charged with driving without due care and attention under the Motor Vehicle Act. The offence carries a maximum fine of $2,000 and maximum six-month prison sentence.

He should at least also been given the max prison sentence. Because he was charged under the BC motor vehicle act, his driving ban would only apply in BC. I bet in another province, once he could get a license again.

[PublicAnimalNo9]

Well see, this is my problem with the ban then. It's not really a lifetime ban. If shit-for-brains has friends in say, Alberta, there's nothing preventing him from using that address to get an Alberta licence. Once he has that licence, there is nothing preventing him from driving legally in BC again.

[andyt]

PublicAnimalNo9 PublicAnimalNo9:

Well see, this is my problem with the ban then. It's not really a lifetime ban. If shit-for-brains has friends in say, Alberta, there's nothing preventing him from using that address to get an Alberta licence. Once he has that licence, there is nothing preventing him from driving legally in BC again.

Not quite. For one he'd have to go the whole learner's route again, since he has no license. In BC at least, that's become an arduous process. Then, it's illegal to drive with an out of province license here if you've lived her for six months - you have to change over to a BC license. He might get away with it of course.