Demerit points, alcohol & penalties

1 of 16 · Demerit points, alcohol & penalties

• A.5 yearsAnswer
• B.1 year
• C.2 years
• D.10 years

Explanation: Tickets and penalty points stay on your driving record for 5 years. The Driver Penalty Point premium is worked out separately, on the points you collect in each 12-month assessment period, and you pay it only once for those points.

2 of 16 · Demerit points, alcohol & penalties

• A.More than 3 pointsAnswer
• B.Any points at all — even 1
• C.At least 10 points
• D.More than 20 points

Explanation: If you collect more than 3 penalty points in the 12-month assessment period, you pay a DPP premium; 0 to 3 points costs nothing. The premium rises with the number of points, so every extra ticket costs more.

3 of 16 · Demerit points, alcohol & penalties

• A.Only by disputing the ticket itselfAnswer
• B.Pay the ticket first, then ask ICBC to remove the points
• C.Wait for your DPP premium bill and dispute the points then
• D.Ask any driver licensing office to cancel just the points

Explanation: Paying a traffic ticket means you accept both the guilt and the penalty points that come with it. The only way to challenge the points is to dispute the ticket you received — so decide before you pay.

4 of 16 · Demerit points, alcohol & penalties

• A.You must still pay it — the premium is billed even if you don’t own or insure a vehicleAnswer
• B.It is cancelled, because you have no Autoplan policy
• C.It is charged only when you next buy Autoplan insurance
• D.You can ignore it until you renew your licence

Explanation: The DPP premium is separate from Autoplan insurance premiums, so it is billed whether or not you own or insure a vehicle. You have 30 days from the invoice date to pay it.

5 of 16 · Demerit points, alcohol & penalties

• A.Giving up your driver’s licence for 1 year from your birthdayAnswer
• B.Paying the fines on your tickets early
• C.Insuring a vehicle with Autoplan
• D.Moving to a new address in B.C.

Explanation: If you give up your driver’s licence for 1 year from your birthday, the DPP premium can be eliminated; giving it up for at least 30 days in the billing period can reduce it. A suspension or prohibition of 60 days or more also qualifies for a reduction — but remember there are fees to reinstate your licence.

6 of 16 · Demerit points, alcohol & penalties

• A.Manually programming your GPSAnswer
• B.Asking a passenger to read and answer your texts
• C.Pulling over and stopping before you use your phone
• D.Turning your phone off and putting it out of sight

Explanation: Every B.C. driver, not just those in graduated licensing, is banned from using hand-held electronic devices while driving: you may not operate, view or hold a phone, send or read texts or emails, hold a music or gaming device, or manually program or adjust a GPS. The ban applies even when you are stopped at a red light. A designated texter, or pulling over to stop, are the safe alternatives.

7 of 16 · Demerit points, alcohol & penalties

• A.Your driving record will be reviewed, and you may face a driving prohibitionAnswer
• B.Nothing more — action starts only after a third device ticket
• C.You must retake the knowledge test
• D.Nothing more — GLP drivers are treated exactly like fully licensed drivers

Explanation: Penalties are stricter in graduated licensing. L and N drivers may not use any electronic device, even hands-free, except to call 9-1-1 to report an emergency — and a GLP driver who gets just 1 device ticket has their driving record reviewed and may be prohibited from driving.

8 of 16 · Demerit points, alcohol & penalties

• A.They are doubledAnswer
• B.They are the same as on any other road
• C.Only a warning is given, as long as no worker is hurt
• D.They are halved if you pay on the spot

Explanation: Traffic fines are double in construction zones. Slow down, obey the construction zone speed limit — posted limits there apply 24 hours a day — and follow the directions of traffic control persons.

9 of 16 · Demerit points, alcohol & penalties

• A.A traffic violation and penalty pointsAnswer
• B.Nothing, as long as you stayed under the posted limit
• C.Nothing — the rule covers only police, fire and ambulance vehicles
• D.A warning letter only; points apply only to GLP drivers

Explanation: The slow-down-and-move-over rule covers every vehicle allowed to show flashing yellow, red, white or blue lights, including tow trucks and highway maintenance and utility crews. Slow to 70 km/h where the limit is 80 km/h or more, or to 40 km/h where it is under 80 km/h, and change lanes if you are in the nearest lane and it is safe. Failing to do so may bring a traffic violation and penalty points.

10 of 16 · Demerit points, alcohol & penalties

• A.Yes — you do not need a BAC over .08 to be prohibitedAnswer
• B.No — only a BAC over .08 can lead to a prohibition
• C.No — only refusing a breath test can lead to a prohibition
• D.Only if you are a learner or novice driver

Explanation: You may be prohibited whenever a police officer considers your ability to drive affected by alcohol or drugs — you do not need a BAC over .08, or a blood drug concentration of 2 nanograms or more of THC. Even a first offence can add up to $600 to over $4,000 in penalties, plus time off the road.

11 of 16 · Demerit points, alcohol & penalties

• A.Driving 40 km/h or more over the posted limitAnswer
• B.Driving 10 km/h or more over the posted limit
• C.Driving 20 km/h or more over the posted limit
• D.Any speeding at all in a school zone

Explanation: Excessive speeding means driving 40 km/h or more over the posted speed limit. Like street racing, stunt driving and driving while prohibited, it lets police impound the vehicle on the spot — and 1 or more excessive speeding convictions also make you pay a Driver Risk Premium.

12 of 16 · Demerit points, alcohol & penalties

• A.7 days, which can rise to 30 or 60 days for repeat offendersAnswer
• B.24 hours
• C.Until the next business day
• D.1 year, for every offender

Explanation: Police can immediately impound the vehicle for 7 days, escalating to 30 or 60 days for repeat offenders, and the owner must pay the towing and storage fees to get it back. Owners are responsible for making sure only licensed drivers use their vehicles.

13 of 16 · Demerit points, alcohol & penalties

• A.Your learner stage is extended — no time counts toward the novice stage until you have served the prohibition and your licence is reinstatedAnswer
• B.It has no effect — your time as a learner keeps counting
• C.You move straight to the novice stage when the prohibition ends
• D.Your learner time counts double once the prohibition ends

Explanation: A prohibition in the learner stage stretches that stage out: you build no time toward the novice stage until the prohibition is served and your licence reinstated. In the novice stage it is harsher still — the clock is reset to zero and you lose the time you had built up.

14 of 16 · Demerit points, alcohol & penalties

• A.A warning letter, then probation, then a driving prohibition if the offences continueAnswer
• B.Nothing, as long as every ticket is paid
• C.A lifetime prohibition after the second ticket
• D.The offences are removed from the record after each warning

Explanation: RoadSafetyBC reviews every offence added to a driving record, case by case. A driver who keeps offending may get a warning letter, then be placed on probation, then be prohibited if there are more offences during probation. Someone who piles up offences quickly can be prohibited without any warning, and the threshold is stricter for drivers in graduated licensing.

15 of 16 · Demerit points, alcohol & penalties

• A.Your vehicle can be impounded, and you may face fines or a jail termAnswer
• B.Your prohibition simply starts over, with no other penalty
• C.You receive a warning letter only
• D.Nothing, if you were driving your own vehicle

Explanation: A prohibition makes it illegal for you to drive for a set time. Driving anyway can get your vehicle impounded and bring fines or a jail term. Even after a prohibition ends, there is a $250 fee to have your licence reinstated.

16 of 16 · Demerit points, alcohol & penalties

• A.The 24-hour roadside prohibitionAnswer
• B.None — roadside prohibitions apply only to alcohol
• C.The immediate roadside prohibition, which applies only to drugs
• D.An unlicensed driver prohibition

Explanation: The 24-hour roadside prohibition can be issued to drivers impaired by alcohol, drugs or both. The immediate roadside prohibition — 3, 7, 30 or 90 days — is issued at the roadside to alcohol-impaired drivers, and criminal charges may be laid separately.