If you’re driving this long weekend, stay safe, sober and under the speed limit.
That’s the message from ICBC and police, who note speeding is the leading cause of crash fatalities in the province, resulting in an average of eight deaths every month from May to September.
And long weekends can be particularly deadly.
On Vancouver Island alone, there are an average 270 crashes and 62 people injured over the Victoria Day long weekend. Province-wide, the May long weekend sees an average of 1,800 crashes, 480 people injured and three people killed.
ICBC asks drivers to avoid distractions, leave the phone alone and be realistic about travel times.
“Regular posted speed limits are a maximum speed set for ideal road and weather conditions,” ICBC said in a media release. “Slow down on wet roads, in bad weather conditions, or on uneven roads and increase your following distance to at least four seconds.”
Police are planning a province-wide enforcement blitz over the long weekend to target speeders.
The Victoria Day long weekend also marks the launch of MADD Canada’s Campaign 911, a national awareness program that encourages the public to call 911 if they suspect a driver or boater is impaired.
According to MADD Canada, possible signs of impaired driving include: driving unreasonably fast, slow or inconsistently, drifting in and out of lanes, tailgating, frequent lane-changing, and/or making exceptionally wide turns.
A full list of signs of impaired driving are available at madd.ca.
MADD Canada encourages anyone who witnesses a potential impaired driver to call 911, state their location and provide a description of the vehicle and driver as well as the direction the driver was travelling.
