Drivers in Gibsons last Thursday were reminded to slow down and drive safely during a one-day speed enforcement blitz, part of May’s province-wide high risk driving campaign.
On May 14, Sunshine Coast Traffic Services, Sunshine Coast general duty officers, Speed Watch volunteers and ICBC teamed up to remind drivers to slow down. Throughout the day, the team set up a three-strike system. Speed Watch volunteers positioned two speed boards along a stretch of road, to show drivers their speed. Further down the road, police checked vehicle speeds with Laser, and those still found to be speeding were pulled over.
Total vehicles checked at first speed board: 454. Vehicles exceeding speed limit by more than 10 km/h: 10. Total vehicles checked at second speed board: 620. Vehicles exceeding speed limit by more than 10 km/h: 12. Total number of violation tickets issued at third checkpoint: 0
Sunshine Coast RCMP are happy with the result in speed reduction, and say that the blitz was all about reminding drivers to drive the speed limit. The fact that zero tickets were issued shows that the Speed Watch boards get the attention of drivers, and work to slow them down.
Speed Watch is a province-wide driver awareness program, sponsored by ICBC and administered by the RCMP. The Sunshine Coast Speed Watch team is currently recruiting new volunteers, who must undergo a criminal record check, and are asked to commit to one to two hours per week roadside. Every year about 25,000 to 30,000 vehicles pass by Speed Watch boards on the Sunshine Coast, which display driver’s speeds to encourage compliance with the speed limit. Anyone interested in joining Speed Watch can contact Cpl. Kris Josephson with Sunshine Coast RCMP, at 604-885-2266.
RCMP on the Sunshine Coast will continue to target high-risk driving behaviour throughout this month. Local ICBC road safety coordinator Harvey Kooner reminds drivers that “failing to yield the right-of-way is a leading cause of crashes that result in injuries or deaths in B.C. Drivers should always be ready to yield to others on the road. When turning left, don’t let pedestrians be in your blind spot.”
