Drive to arrive – May is BCHP’s high-risk driving campaign

Written By Alexandria Wociechowski

B.C. BC Highway Patrol

Throughout the month of May, BC Highway Patrol will be conducting joint force operations with ICBC to target high-risk drivers: impaired drivers, excessive speeders, street racers, and distracted drivers.

Enforcement efforts will especially be in full force from May 17 to 21 where we will see a higher volume of motorists on our highways who are looking to enjoy the long weekend. This May long weekend may also see an increase in impaired drivers and high-risk drivers which could mean a higher number of collisions including fatal collisions.

According to ICBC, from 2018 to 2022, there are on average 1800 collisions on May long weekends in BC and two or three of them are fatal. Yearly, there are on average 264 fatal collisions on BC highways with approximately 284 victims. Of those 284 victims, the following people lost their lives:

  • Toddlers and infants as young as a few months old

  • A mom of four children who were also all severely injured in the same collision

  • Innocent truck drivers who were fathers, husbands, and brothers

  • A young family of two parents and their child as well as their dog

  • The wife of the driver who survived the collision

All of those collisions had something in common – they were all preventable, says Corporal Melissa Jongema, BC Highway Patrol Media Relations Officer. Do your part in keeping BC highways safe by respecting the lives of the drivers and passengers in other vehicles. Although they may be strangers, drive how you would drive if your loved ones were in the other vehicles on the road.

On May 18, 2024, National Impaired Driving Enforcement Day, police will be out in full force across the province to combat impaired drivers. Do your part by planning a safe ride home and reporting impaired drivers to the police. Let’s work together to keep each other safe on our highways this May long weekend and drive to arrive.

To learn more about safe driving tips and ICBC statistics, please visit:
Safe Driving Tips
ICBC.com
RoadSafetyBC

Alexandria Wociechowski
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