Police remind drivers: It’s not summer on the Okanagan Connector

About 10% of vehicles being driven on a mountain highway had inadequate winter tires, West Kelowna RCMP say.

Police set up a check-point on Highway 97C westbound near Peachland last Wednesday and pulled over more than 200 vehicles.

The drivers of 21 cars and trucks were ordered to turn around and return to the Okanagan due to various tirerelated violations. These included worn out or bald tires, or not having winter tires.

"Our mountain passes can be extremely dangerous places to travel through in the winter," West Kelowna Staff-Sgt. Duncan Dixon said in a Monday release. "Not ensuring that your vehicle is roadside puts yourself, your passengers, and everyone around you at risk."

Other drivers were ticketed for travelling too fast for highway conditions, inadequate vehicle brakes, and not having a driver's licence.

Pennask Summit, the highest point on the highway between Peachland and Merritt, has an elevation of 1,728 metres above sea level.

WESTSIDE WEEKLY, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2021 – 7