ICBC, police launch campaign to curb summer speeding

Police launch crackdown on speeders With the busy summer season right around the corner, ICBC and police are launching a month-long campaign urging people to slow down.

Ahead of the busy summer driving season in B.C., officials are warning the public of the devastating consequences of speeding.

"I can tell you the task of telling a family that a loved one has died is something no one should have to do," said Supt. Dale Carr with BC Highway Patrol.

Shabnem Afzal, ICBC’s director of road safety, says speeding-related deaths have stayed consistent in recent years.

"We know that speed continues to be the main cause of crashes in BC," said Afzal. "It claims 80 lives a year – 80 lives."

On Friday morning ICBC and police announced a month-long campaign against speeding. During the launch event held at the Justice Institute of BC, organizers set up a driving course to demonstrate how speed can impact a driver's ability to maneuver around unexpected objects.

The course featured a straight-away portion with the instructor sitting in the passenger seat and commanding the driver to turn left or right at a certain section without braking, and then to recover to straighten the vehicle through a lane flanked by cardboard boxes.

Each driver first attempted the course at 70 km/hour and then 50 km/hour.

The results consistently showed drivers hitting cones and boxes at 70 km/hour while generally steering clear at 50 km/hour.

The campaign aims to educate the public while also increasing enforcement.

"This month I can tell you they're going to be, absolutely, focused on speed-related offenses," said Carr.

Currently, speeding fines range from $138 to $483. Tougher penalties are enforced for excessive speeding, classified as anyone driving more than 40 km/hour over the speed limit. Police also can levy penalty points against drivers and impound their vehicles.

Drivers this month can also expect to see more speed-reader boards popping up throughout the province.