The truth about driving while prohibited

Many people end up with driving prohibitions during or just after the holidays due to some traffic infraction that brings with it a driving prohibition. Most drivers abide by the prohibition. Some think they can either cheat just a little or disregard the prohibition entirely.

The truth about driving while prohibited is that the police have various methods to catch people who drive while prohibited. No matter what, if you take the chance and drive while prohibited, you’ll likely be apprehended due to one of the following policing techniques.

It’s the gift nobody wants at Christmas – the police issuing a driving prohibition or a driving prohibition for too many tickets. You can get a driving prohibition because you received some roadside DUI, a letter from the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles, or even a judge-ordered prohibition.

If you take the risk and choose to drive, it’s a serious offence.

The police in BC know full well that many people will drive despite being prohibited. They also know how to catch people who do so. This is how they identify prohibited drivers:

1. Unusual drivers

The police in BC run the plates of the vehicles around them that they see in traffic. Some officers do it when they are stopped at lights, and some type in plate numbers into their laptop with their free hand while driving.

If the plate comes back associated with a prohibited driver, that’s an obvious red flag, and they will stop the vehicle to investigate. It doesn’t stop there, however. Suppose the driver appears to be someone other than the registered owner, based on age, ethnicity or apparent gender. In that case, an officer may pull the vehicle over to view their driver’s license.

One of the most common circumstances is a pick-up truck registered in the name of a woman yet driven by a man. Some guys seem to think they can get away driving while prohibited if they register their truck in the name of their partner. This is usually a red flag to any traffic officer and likely to trigger a stop and subsequent detection of the prohibited driver.

2. Targeted enforcement

All of the police forces in BC put some effort into targeted enforcement of prohibited drivers. They may receive lists of recently banned drivers or those suspected of driving while prohibited. That police car sitting on your street may be watching for a vehicle that they think is being driven by a prohibited driver.

We have seen cases where a police officer had a hunch and parked near the person’s place of work, catching them when they got into a vehicle owned by their employer or a family member’s vehicle.

3. Noted drivers

Traffic officers and even general duty officers may follow up on drivers to who they issued a ticket on a previous date. If, for example, you give a ticket to an “N” driver, you can assume they will receive a prohibition if convicted of the offence. Many officers will remember the person they ticketed and follow up to see when they were prohibited and then watch for them on the road.

There is little anonymity when the police officers remember who you are.

4. Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR)

Are you thinking of making just a quick run for groceries? Think again.

Traffic enforcement police vehicles in BC have cameras connected to a computer system that identifies vehicles by their license plate and gives almost instantaneous notification to the officer that a driver may be prohibited. Their “hit list” is updated daily by ICBC, and if you’re on the list driving a vehicle associated with you, ALPR will flag you to be stopped.

ALPR is so effective that officers complain that there are too many hits to take action in each case, particularly on locations such as Highway 1. To deal with this, their standard practice is to radio ahead or to notify another officer to go to the probable destination, such as the driver’s home or place of work.

5. Bad luck

Never assume that luck is on your side if you are prohibited from driving. The truth about driving while prohibited is that you got prohibited in the first place because, in some respect, you seem to have no luck at all. In any event, bad luck seems to play a part in many arrests.

It is not uncommon for an off-duty police officer to see a prohibited driver while shopping at Home Depot, for example. The officer remembers their face and checks to see if their vehicle is on the lot or watches the person later drive away. The officer can either come later and charge the driver or call one of their on-duty colleagues to apprehend the suspected prohibited driver.

We have seen cases where the officer was sitting on a restaurant patio and observed a prohibited driver stopped in a line of traffic. In some cases, an officer doing cell phone enforcement sees that the driver is not using a phone but notices that the driver is someone they issued a prohibition in the weeks before. You can assume that luck will not be on your side if you decide to drive while prohibited.

6. Traffic stops

It always surprises us how prohibited drivers are stopped for a later traffic offence. Usually, it’s a common offence – speeding, using an electronic device, or even failing to signal.

Regardless, all of those people stopped in such circumstances knew full well that this was a significant risk, yet they were stopped because of their driving behaviour. Old habits die hard, perhaps. Perhaps it’s bad luck once again.

The truth about driving while prohibited is that it’s almost impossible to avoid detection.

ICBC and the police have thought through every trick and know how to catch people.

If you made the poor decision to drive while prohibited, our job is to help you avoid a conviction. The truth is, in most cases, we help our clients avoid conviction for this offence because the punishment is so harsh. For a first offence, there is a further 1-year driving prohibition. A second offence comes with a jail sentence.

If you have been prohibited from driving or charged with driving while banned, call us, and we’ll discuss with you what we can do to help you. Initial consultations are free. We may be able to get you back in the driver’s seat sooner than you ever expected. Call 604-685-8889.