Expect to see a lot more police on the road this long weekend as the Mounties aim to keep our roads safe.

Media Relations Officer Cpl. Michael McLaughlin says the force’s number one concern whenever we’re looking at the May long weekend is reducing the number of fatal and serious crashes. “We really see a spike every year around this time. So in and around Kamloops, and actually throughout the province, we are putting up high visibility patrols.”

“We’re going to be using overtime as well as regular resources to really get those speeds down, make sure people aren’t impaired or distracted and are wearing their seat belts. We’ll also be doing some less obvious work out there. So just because you don’t see a police car, it doesn’t mean we’re not watching you. Please stay safe.”

“Since the pandemic, we’ve not only gone back to normal, we’ve surpassed the number of collisions and fatalities on something like the May long weekend,” said Cpl. McLaughlin. “So it’s great that people are out and about and enjoying themselves and taking advantage of the better weather, but we really have to refocus, get those speeds down and understand that driving is something where you have to focus on safety.”

“Speed is the number one factor that’s going to kill you behind the wheel. Number two is actually distracted driving. Right behind it is impaired driving. Those three are all very close. So being distracted, whether it’s by a cell phone or talking to your friend or eating or putting on makeup, whatever it is, it has has become really deadly. That might partly be a function of how easy and convenient, it’s become to drive we feel like we don’t have to focus on the road.”

From Friday to Monday, the Victoria Day long weekend averages three deaths per year, and almost 2,200 crashes, with a concerning escalation since the historic low numbers of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Special enforcement efforts will include:

• Highly-visible BC Highway Patrol operations in the Kamloops area, Barriere, Sicamous, Chase, Nelson, Cranbrook, Golden, Revelstoke and more;
• Check stops in various high-volume traffic locations throughout the Metro Vancouver region and all over Vancouver Island;
• BC Highway Patrol officers setting up spotters in high-altitude locations over highways and using spotting scopes to locate high-risk driving, distracted driving and ensure seatbelt use;
• Special operations in the Sea to Sky Corridor with the goal of stopping aggressive and impaired drivers on Highway #99.

The Victoria Day long weekend efforts are part of the month long High Risk Driving and Motorcycle Awareness campaign.

*Data collected by ICBC reflects collisions in BC between 2019 and 2023 from 12:00 p.m. on the Friday of the long weekend to midnight of Victoria Day.