Speed limits rolled back on two B.C. highways

Drivers will have to slow down on two sections of B.C. roads—Highway 1 between Hope and Boston Bar and Highway 5A between Aspen Grove and Princeton — following an increase in serious crashes that took place after the provincial government raised speed limits in 2014.

Transportation Minister Todd Stone said congestion and speed are believed to be major contributors of crashes on those segments. Speed limits will be rolled back by 10 km/h: to 90 km/h on Highway 1 and 80 km/h on Highway 5A.

Twelve other routes where collisions have also increased will keep the higher speed limits, he said, because they can be improved with rumble strips, variable speed zones, wildlife signs and message boards.

Speed limits were increased on 1,300 km of rural provincial highways in the Southern Interior, Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland two years ago. On some highways, including the Coquihalla — from Hope to Kamloops — motorists can drive up to 120 km/h.

Data from the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure shows crash rates have dropped, or are unchanged, on 19 of 33 sections of highway. The Coquihalla continues to see the lowest crash rate in the last 10 years, according to the province. The ministry’s analysis, which compares crash data from Nov. 1, 2014 to Oct. 31, 2015 with data from the previous three years, notes that on seven sections, the rate of speed and crashes decreased, while on 12 sections, the rate of speed increased but crashes went down.

The data suggests 28 per cent of crashes were primarily caused by distracted driving. Driving faster than the posted speed limit was a factor in 2 per cent of the crashes.