Police enforcement is set to increase over the May long weekend as, in the past, this time of year has resulted in an increase of collisions on the Southern Interior’s highways.
The enforcement blitz will commence province-wide on Friday.
According to ICBC, an average of 68 people are injured in 260 crashes over the Victoria Day long weekend.
Collisions are attributed to high-risk behaviours, such as impaired driving, failing to yield, speeding, unsafe lane changes and tailgating.
Sgt. Don Erichsen of the East Kootenay Traffic Services Unit warned in a press release, “If you are travelling through Kootenay National park or anywhere along Highway 3 this weekend, you can count on seeing police officers out enforcing high-risk driving behaviours, and tolerance for aggressive behaviour will be extremely low. Our goal is to discourage driving behaviours that increase your risk of crashing and endanger everyone on our roads.”
Drivers are reminded that violators can face steep fines and vehicle impoundment for reckless behaviour.
In addition to monitored roadways, Lake Koocanusa visitors will also see an influx of enforcement present over the weekend in an attempt to curb a repeat of last year’s vandalism from B.C. and Alberta party-goers.
“The enforcement efforts planned for the long weekend will help discourage unruly behaviour and promote a fun and safe environment for residents and visitors,” Kootenay East MLA Bill Bennett said in a press release. “I want to assure residents and people who use Lake Koocanusa that we will not put up with a repeat of the mess and destruction of property made by vandals last year.”
RCMP patrol teams will be padded through a coordinated effort with natural resource officers from the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and the Ministry of Environment’s B.C. Conservation Officer service.
For more road safety tips and information about high risk driving, visit www.icbc.com.
To report violations at Lake Koocanusa, call the Natural Resource Violation reporting line at 1-844-NRO-TIPS.