This letter was sent to Premier David Eby, and shared with Pique.
Last month we all heard about the three separate horrific motorcycle events that claimed the lives of three motorcyclists in the Lower Mainland. Some reports say the death toll on the Sea to Sky highway (a.k.a. Sea to Die highway) is about 25 for 2024… so far.
As a full-time resident of Whistler for the last eight years (previously of Vancouver), and a frequent traveller to and from the city, it must be known that the driving habits of some drivers (auto and motorcycle) is horrendous… so much so we normally do not drive Highway 99 on weekends to avoid the risk. The amount of excessive speed, hazardous driving and risk-taking along this stretch is mind-blowing.
Understandably, the RCMP who patrol this highway are doing their best with the resources they are provided (woefully understaffed), but barely scratch the surface in bringing effective enforcement. The cost to reinforce the police resources (hire more officers) would be astronomical just for the Sea to Sky, never mind the whole province, which could also use better enforcement. There are enough excessive speeders in the Lions Bay stretch alone that would keep RCMP hopping full time.
Coincidentally, we had just returned from a camping trip to Vancouver Island on Friday, July 19, driving north on Highway 99 passing by the place (Ocean Point Road) where a motorcyclist would be killed moments later. Upon reviewing our dash cam, seven motorcycles can be noted speeding (some up to 140 km/hr) southbound toward the collision zone. This footage has been passed on to the RCMP for their investigation.
In some European countries they use a speed-enforcement technique some know as “Distance Based Radar.” Essentially it would involve setting up cameras to capture vehicle identities entering a prescribed zone (i.e. Horseshoe Bay) and leaving a zone (i.e. Porteau Cove). If that vehicle was noted to complete that route in under a certain time it would determine the vehicle average speed of (just say) 10 km/hr faster than the speed limit… a fine would be issued. I use Horseshoe Bay to Porteau Cove as an example zone (rather than Horseshoe Bay to Squamish) because a lot of the car and motorcycle racers tend to stop at Porteau which would skew their actual travelling speeds. Thus a separate zone established between Porteau Cove and Squamish (and Squamish to Whistler) would be prudent to ensure uniform enforcement.
Primarily, the human cost to lives lost and injured (friends, families and first responders) is enormous—add in the health-care and first responder financial burden and we have a case of “a few who abuse society’s privileges” at a horrible cost for the rest of us.
Some would say that this would be just “another cash cow”… so be it.
