3 days ago
BC Highway Patrol mark this year's Victoria Day long weekend as the safest in six years
This Victoria Day weekend is being called the 'safest long weekend in years' according to the BC Highway Patrol.
For the first time in six years, there were no fatal crashes on B.C. roads, however, the number of tickets for dangerous driving remained high.
Safety initiatives were held across B.C. last month for the 'High Risk Driving and Motorcycle Awareness Campaign.' ICBC held a speeding campaign, and the BC Association of Chiefs of Police (BCACP) ran motorcycle safety and high-risk driving campaigns.
Over the course of the month-long campaigns, BC Highway Patrol officers wrote over 9,600 speeding tickets province-wide with the majority being on the South Coast and Lower Mainland, and the Central Okanagan Region.
2:13
Traffic Tips: Keeping motorcycle drivers safe
During the Victoria Day long weekend, officers wrote over 1,900 speeding tickets and impounded 79 vehicles for excessive speeding.
Story continues below advertisement
BC Highway Patrol enforcement shared some of the more dangerous examples in a recent press release.
On May 17, a driver on Highway 3/95 in the East Kootenays was stopped for driving at 166 km/h in a 100 km/h zone. The driver was impaired and received a 90-day Immediate Roadside Prohibition, an excessive speeding ticket and had their vehicle impounded for seven days.
On May 18, a driver blew a 'warn' on a breathalyzer on Highway 21 near Creston and received a three-day driving suspension. Her husband came to pick her up but also did not pass the breath test and received a 24-hour suspension.
On the week of May 12, a vehicle was stopped for driving 191 km/h in a 100 km/h zone on Highway 1 near Golden. This was the driver's third excessive speeding ticket in two years. He received a five-month driving prohibition, an excessive speeding ticket, seven-day minimum impound and a notice for a licence suspension.
On May 19, a motorcycle was recorded driving 152 km/h in a 90 km/h zone on Highway 1 in Burnaby. The driver holds a Class 8 (learner) license and was driving contrary to restrictions. He was fined and had his vehicle impounded for seven days.
'We had a lot of positive public feedback about the impact of BC Highway Patrol's high-visibility enforcement, and we're very happy to do our part to reduce deaths on our roads,' Supt. Mike Coyle of BC Highway Patrol said in the press release. 'We still find too many examples of irresponsible driving.'
Story continues below advertisement
In May 2024, there were three deaths over the Victoria Day long weekend, and the weekend saw an average of four deaths between 2019 to 2023.
As ICBC and the BCACP prepare for the upcoming 'Summer Impaired Driving Campaign' (June 15 – August 31), Supt. Coyle had an important message to all drivers: 'Refocus and take safe driving more seriously. The heat of summer will bring a lot more traffic on B.C. Highways.'
