Motorists on the Sea to Sky Highway can expect a beefed-up police presence this weekend, according to the BC Highway Patrol (BCHP).
In a release Thursday, Sept. 9, the patrol unit said there would be increased enforcement from North Vancouver to Whistler between Friday and Sunday. Additional resources will be brought in from the BCHP as well as the Fraser Coast Integrated Road Safety Unit (IRSU) to patrol from the Taylor Way on-ramp to the resort, with “a large presence” of both marked and unmarked police vehicles expected.
Police also noted they are aware of an exotic car rally planned from Richmond to the Sea to Sky this weekend. The Diamond Car Rally is slated for Sept. 10 to 12.
Following last year’s rally, police laid charges against the driver of a black Land Rover that collided with a silver Lamborghini participating in the rally, sending it into oncoming traffic before it struck a southbound Toyota Corolla near Daisy Lake, resulting in serious injuries for six people, including two children.
“Aggressive driving, speeding/excessive speeding, distracted driving and impaired driving are the leading causes of serious injury and fatal collision in British Columbia, and this driving behaviour will not be tolerated,” said Sgt. Patrick Davies, spokesperson for the Fraser Coast IRSU, in the release.
September is “Distracted Driving and Occupant Restraint” month for B.C. police, a campaign that will see “intensified distracted driving enforcement in your area,” police said.
According to provincial data, distracted driving accounts for more than a quarter of all car crash fatalities and is the second leading cause of fatal collisions in B.C.