VICTORIA, B.C- The highway from Parksville to Campbell River is getting slower.
According to an announcement from the provincial government, the highway route is one of 15 sections across British Columbia to get its speed limit dropped by 10 km/h as of this week.
This means the route will go from 120 km/h to 110 km/h.
All the of affected areas had their speed limits raised four years ago, with a rise in collisions recorded afterwards.
The speed limit from Bloedel to Sayward will be going down to 90 km/h from 100 km/h. Campbell River to Bloedel and Port Hardy to Port McNeill will remain the same at 90 and 100 km /h.
“Since the former government raised speed limits in 2014, serious crashes have been on the rise,” Transportation Minister Claire Trevena said in a statement.
“By rolling back speed limits slightly, our goal is to reduce accidents, keep roads open and protect the lives of British Columbians.”
According to the province, driver inattentiveness, road conditions and driving too fast for conditions were factors in the collision increases.
The original increases were put in place as part of the province’s Rural Safety and Speed Review, which was applied to 33 sections of highway. Increases for 16 sections will stay the same, where crash rates were not affected. Speed limit raises for two others were reduced in 2016.
RCMP enforcement will be getting boosted in crash-heavy areas, in order to ensure drivers are complying with the new limits. According to Inspector Tim Walton, who recently took charge of Island District Traffic Services, slowing down can reduce the severity of a collision and lower the chance of drivers getting killed or severely injured.
“As we shift into winter driving mode, police are reminding drivers to obey speed limits, adopt safe and defensive driving habits, and to drive sober and distraction-free,” Walton said in a statement.
The following routes have been changed:
- Highway 1: Cowichan Bay to Nanaimo – 90 km/h to 80 km/h
- Highway 1: Whatcom Road to Hope – 110 km/h to 100 km/h
- Highway 1: Boston Bar to Jackass Mountain – 100 km/h to 90 km/h
- Highway 1: Tobiano to Savona – 100 km/h to 90 km/h
- Highway 1: Chase to Sorrento – 100 km/h to 90 km/h
- Highway 3: Sunday Summit to Princeton – 90 km/h to 80 km/h
- Highway 7: Agassiz to Hope – 100 km/h to 90 km/h
- Highway 19: Parksville to Campbell River – 120 km/h to 110 km/h
- Highway 19: Bloedel to Sayward – 100 km/h to 90 km/h
- Highway 97A: Grindrod to Sicamous – 90 km/h to 80 km/h
- Highway 97C: Merritt to Aspen Grove – 110 km/h to 100 km/h
- Highway 97C: Aspen Grove to Peachland – 120 km/h to 110 km/h
- Highway 99: Horseshoe Bay to Squamish – 90 km/h to 80 km/h
- Highway 99: Squamish to Whistler – 100 km/h to 90 km/h
- Highway 99: Whistler to Pemberton – 90 km/h to 80 km/h
The following 16 corridors showed no reduction in safety, and speed limits will remain the same:
- Highway 1: Salmon Arm to Revelstoke – 100 km/h
- Highway 1: Revelstoke to Golden – 100 km/h
- Highway 3: Hope to Coquihalla – 110 km/h
- Highway 3: Sunshine Valley to Manning Park East Boundary – 100 km/h
- Highway 5: Hope to Kamloops – 120 km/h
- Highway 5: Heffley to Little Fort – 100 km/h
- Highway 6: New Denver to Hills – 90 km/h
- Highway 6: Summit Lake to Nakusp – 100 km/h
- Highway 19: Campbell River to Bloedel – 90 km/h
- Highway 19: Port McNeill to Port Hardy – 100 km/h
- Highway 33: McCulloch Road to Black Mountain – 100 km/h
- Highway 33: Rock Creek to Westbridge – 100 km/h
- Highway 97: Cache Creek to 100 Mile House – 110 km/h
- Highway 97: Swan Lake to Monte Creek – 90 km/h
- Highway 97A: Armstrong to Enderby – 100 km/h
- Highway 99: Lillooet to Cache Creek – 100 km/h
