The province’s residents assume that the fines for three violations are significantly higher than they are.
Vancouver, BC [May 14, 2026] – Most British Columbians are in favour of raising the fines levied on drivers who interfere with emergency vehicles, a new Research Co. poll has found.
The online survey of a representative provincial sample asked British Columbians what they think the current fines are for three traffic violations: driving over a fire hose, following a fire truck too closely and failing to yield to an emergency vehicle.
On average, British Columbians believe the current fine for driving over a fire hose is $233.99. Respondents assumed higher fines for following a fire truck too closely ($342.73) and failing to yield to an emergency vehicle ($393.32).
The current fines for these three violations are significantly lower than what British Columbians assumed: $81 for driving over a fire hose, $81 for following a fire truck too closely and $109 for failing to yield to an emergency vehicle.
When informed of the current fines, almost half of British Columbians (48%) think the one in place for failing to yield to an emergency vehicle is too low. More than two-in-five (42%) feel the same way about the fine for following a fire truck too closely and one third (33%) share the same opinion about the fine for driving over a fire hose.
“More than half of men in British Columbia (55%) say the current fine for failing to yield to an emergency vehicle is too low,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “Only 43% of women share this view.”
In the final question, three-in-five British Columbians (60%) are in favour of raising the fine for driving over a fire hose. Two thirds (66%) call for a higher fine for following a fire truck too closely, and more than seven-in-ten (72%) endorse a similar course of action for falling to yield to an emergency vehicle.
Support for raising the fine for driving over a fire hose is highest on Vancouver Island (76%), followed by Northern BC (75%), Southern BC (74%), the Fraser Valley (71%) and Metro Vancouver (70%).
Majorities of British Columbians who voted for the BC New Democratic Party (NDP) (77%), the Conservative Party of BC (74%) and the BC Green Party (64%) agree with raising the fine for driving over a fire hose.
Methodology: Results are based on an online survey conducted from April 6 to April 8, 2026, among 800 adults in British Columbia. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region in British Columbia. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.5 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
Find our data tables here and download the press release here.
For more information on this poll, please contact:
Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.
778.929.0490
[e] mario.canseco@researchco.ca