Reduced speed limit on 15 sections of B.C. highway

VICTORIA The British Columbia government is rolling back speed limits on sections of more than a dozen highways where crashes have climbed since 2014, when the highest speeds in Canada were permitted.

Transportation Minister Claire Trevena said Tuesday a three-year review of crash data from 33 routes shows the top three factors for increased collisions are driver inattention, road conditions and driving too fast for those conditions.

Serious crashes jumped significantly after speed limits went into effect, said Trevena, citing an “alarming” increase on several routes, including Highway 19 between Parksville and Campbell River, where speed-related accidents jumped by one-third.

Fifteen sections of highway will see speeds cut by 10 km/h. Stretches of Highway 1 and Highway 5A in the southern Interior were already rolled back in 2016 when crash rates jumped after the speed limit change.

Speeds on sections of 16 routes, including the Coquihalla Highway, won’t be changed because they haven’t shown higher accident rates over the last four years, Trevena said.

Nearly half of all serous accidents over the three years were caused by driver inattention and road conditions, she said.

“The combination of those factors, along with wildlife and people driving too fast for conditions, were responsible for 43 per cent of all highway collisions on B.C. highways.”

RCMP Insp. Tim Walton, who is in charge of Island District Traffic Services, warned at the news conference that police will be boosting enforcement on all corridors where collisions increased to ensure drivers are respecting the new limits.

Walton said he decided four years ago that he’d wait to respond to the hike in speed limits until the research was completed.

“Slowing down can significantly reduce the impact of any collision and reduce the chances that you’ll be severely injured or killed,” he said, adding that as winter driving conditions approach, Mounties are reminding motorists to obey speed limits, drive sober and free of distractions.