BC Highway Patrol (BCHP) says more than 2,830 violation tickets were issued to drivers over the May long weekend, amid a province-wide enforcement initiative that caught people speeding, driving impaired or without a license.
The campaign “Drive to Arrive” kicked off summer enforcement in B.C., according to Highway Patrol, which has detachments across Vancouver Island. Over the long weekend, from May 17 to 20, officers issued thousands of tickets, including to speeders, street racers and prohibited drivers.
“There was no shortage of excessive speeders on our highways,” said BCHP in a news release. It says drivers were charged, received fines ranging from $368 to $483 and also had their vehicles impounded for seven days.
In one instance, the driver of a Ferrari was going 143 km/h in a posted 80 km/h zone, says BCHP. Another incident saw two street racers stopped after travelling more than double the speed limit — 131 km/h in a 60 km/h zone.
(Photos: BC Highway Patrol)
BCHP adds that the driver of a Dodge Charger was caught going 208 km/h, “which was 108 km/hour over the posted speed limit.”
It says officers also conducted roadblocks across the province, nabbing more than 80 impaired drivers on local highways.
“In one particular case, the BCHP officer was conducting an impaired driving investigation when they pulled over a second impaired driver. Both drivers received immediate roadside driving prohibitions, and both vehicles were impounded for 30 days,” reads the release.
BCHP: Targeting high-risk drivers
The campaign’s goal, it says, was “to send a clear message to drivers for the start of the summer season,” as officers “targeted the top high-risk driving behaviours contributing to serious injury and fatal collision on our highways, targeting Excessive Speeding, Aggressive/Dangerous Driving, Impaired Driving, and Distracted Driving.”
Cpl. Melissa Jongema, BCHP media relations officer, is thanking the public for their help in reporting high-risk and impaired drivers.
“We would like to encourage the public to report high-risk driving to police immediately, so we can continue to work together to reduce the number of serious collisions on our highways,” added Jongema.
“Drivers should expect enhanced enforcement operations throughout the summer season as we continue to focus on high-risk and impaired drivers.”
ICBC says police data from 2018-2022 shows 12 people are killed and 361 are injured every year, on average, in speed-related crashes on the Island. Province-wide, such crashes result in an average of 84 deaths and 2,168 injuries each year.
The insurance corporation has more information about fines and points for B.C. traffic offences on its website here.
Ethan Morneau
