Drivers around the province experienced the safest Victoria Day long weekend on the road in a long time.
According to BC Highway Patrol, there were no fatalities on B.C. roads during this year's May long weekend (May 17-19). This is the first time this has happened "in at least six years." BC Highway Patrol states this after there were three deaths over the 2024 May long weekend and an average of four deaths between 2019 and 2023.
"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," said Superintendent Mike Coyle of BC Highway Patrol in a press release on Thursday, June 5. "We still find too many examples of irresponsible driving."
While there were no deaths, nearly 2,000 speeding tickets were handed out over the three day span. Additionally, 79 drivers had their car impounded due to excessive speeding.
Some of the car impoundment violations that occurred were:
On the week of May 12 (date not specified) - A 24-year-old Alberta man driving a Tesla Model S was stopped after he was caught driving 191 km/h in a 100 km/h zone on Highway 1 near Golden. It was the driver's third excessive speed ticket in two years. He received a five-month driving prohibition, an excessive speeding ticket ($483), a 7-day minimum impound, and a notice to the Government of Alberta for a licence suspension.
May 17 - A driver on Highway 3/95 in the East Kootenays was stopped for driving 166 km/h in a 100 km/h zone. It was discovered the driver was also impaired. They received a 90-day immediate roadside prohibition, an excessive speed ticket, and the vehicle impounded for seven days.
May 18 - A driver blew a 'warn' on an Approved Screening Device (ASD) on Highway 21 near Creston and as a result, received a three-day driving suspension. Her husband came to pick her but also did not pass the ASD and received a 24-hour suspension. Both were picked up by their parents.
May 19 - A motorcyclist on Highway 1 in Burnaby was recorded moving 152 km/h in a 90 km/h zone. The Class 8 (learner) was driving contrary to the restrictions. They was ticketed for $673 in fines, billed for the tow, and had to paid the cost of the seven-day impound.
May was High Risk Driving and Motorcycle Awareness month with many campaigns that went on. In total, BC Highway Patrol handed out more than 9,600 speeding tickets throughout the 31 days.
- Central/Okanagan Region: Over 2,200 tickets (94 excessive speed with a vehicle impound);
- Vancouver Island: Over 1,500 tickets (53 excessive speed with a vehicle impound);
- Kootenay Region: Over 1,200 tickets (66 excessive speed with a vehicle impound);
- Northern Region: Over 1,900 tickets (68 excessive speed with a vehicle impound);
- South Coast/Lower Mainland: Over 2,500 tickets (122 excessive speed with a vehicle impound).
