No road fatalities in BC over May long weekend for first time in at least 6 years: BCHP

The BC Highway Patrol (BCHP) says the May long weekend came and went without a single fatality on British Columbia roads.

According to the law enforcement agency, it’s the first time “in at least six years” that can be said. In 2024, there were three deaths over the May long weekend and an average of four deaths between 2019-23.

But while the news on that front is positive, the BCHP admits there is still plenty of work to be done when it comes to road safety in BC.

“We still find too many examples of irresponsible driving,” Supt. Mike Coyle explained.

While there were no fatalities on BC roads over the May long weekend, BCHP officers still wrote more than 1,900 speeding tickets and impounded 79 vehicles due to excessive speeding.

On Saturday, May 17, an impaired driver was stopped on Hwy 3/95 in the East Kootenays after going 166 km/h in a 100km/h zone.

The next day, a woman blew a ‘warn’ on an Approved Screening Device (ASD) on Hwy 21 near Creston and received a three-day suspension.

Her husband came to pick her up but failed the ASD as well and received his own suspension.

“Both were picked up by their parents,” the BCHP release noted.

On the final day of the long weekend, the Monday holiday, a motorcycle driver with a learner’s licence was caught going 152 km/h in a 90 km/h zone along Hwy 1 in Burnaby.

Driving contrary to restrictions, the rider accumulated $673 in fines, was billed for the tow and had to pay the cost of a seven-day impound.

Another example provided by the BCHP came before the long weekend when a Tesla Model S was stopped doing 191 km/h in a 100 km/h zone on Hwy 1 near Golden.

It was the 24-year-old Alberta driver’s third excessive speeding ticket in two years, the BCHP said, which came with a five-month driving prohibition, minimum seven-day impound, $483 ticket and a notice to the Alberta government for a licence suspension there.

The BCHP’s Summer Impaired Driving Campaign is right around the corner and Supt. Coyle has a message for the public as they plan their travels this year.

“Refocus and take safe driving more seriously,” he urged. “The heat of summer will bring a lot more traffic on BC highways.”