The B.C. RCMP's Highway Patrol unit says it is pleading with drivers to slow down after a sudden surge in fatal crashes claimed the lives of at least 20 people over the last two weeks.
Despite widespread news coverage of the deaths, B.C. Highway Patrol says its officers have continued to catch people driving at well above the speed limit throughout the province.
On July 9 for instance, an officer clocked the driver of a white Corvette suddenly accelerate to 213 km/h in a 100 km/h zone on Highway 1 near 176 Street in Langley.
Two days later, on July 11, an officer in Nelson caught a motorcyclist going 142 km/h in a 70 km/h zone. The rider only had their learner's licence and wasn't allowed to be on the road on their own at all.
The next day, a BMW driver from Alberta was stopped for driving at 212 km/h in a 100 km/h zone on the Caribou Highway in Prince George.
On July 14, the drivers of a blue four-door sedan and a red motorcycle were seen going 140 km/h through the heart of Squamish. When they were pulled over, the sedan's driver told the officer they had been 'clearing' the way for the motorcyclist.
BC Highway Patrol says all of the drivers were issued tickets between $368 and $483 and had their vehicles impounded for seven days. It's not just the fines people should be concerned about though, Insp. Chad Badry said in a news release Wednesday (July 17).
"You have far less time to react to anything when going that fast which is why excessive speed is so deadly."
Since July 5, at least 20 people have been killed in car crashes in B.C. Speaking with Black Press Media last week, Badry said all of the recent crashes likely involved speed and impaired or distracted driving.
The sudden uptick prompted a safety reminder from the B.C. Coroners Service on July 12, which urged people to take extra care when planning trips. It said people should plan time for delays, wear seatbelts, obey speed limits and stay focused on the road ahead.
An average of 301 British Columbians have died each year in vehicle crashes since 2013. That number increased to 331 in 2023.
-With files from Lauren Collins
