RCMP presence will be noticed this long holiday weekend

The B.C. Day long weekend is just days away and that means lots of heavy traffic on provincial highways.

To ensure safety, the Merritt Detachment of the RCMP,  the Province and the BC Highway Patrol advise that travellers should plan ahead and exercise extra caution.

People travelling B.C.’s most popular routes should expect heavy traffic and congestion during peak travel times and should plan for extra travel time, or travel at off-peak hours when possible.

Locally, Staff Sergeant Josh Roda, reminds motorists that RCMP will be be out in full force watching for impaired, distracted and speeding drivers this weekend.

“We (Merritt RCMP) know that there will be more drivers on the road trying to get away for the long weekend,” said Roda. “We just want to issue a friendly reminder that if you drink or drug, then don’t get behind the wheel. ”

According to ICBC, over the B.C. Day long weekend, on average, two people are killed and 562 injured in 2,064 crashes in B.C.

Distracted driving, impaired driving and failing to yield the right of way are the top contributing factors in these crashes.

If you have a weekend trip planned, the province has provided some general tips for a safe trip such as:

• allowing additional time to get to your destination due to more people on the roads;
• making sure your vehicle is up for the drive by having a full tank of gas or charged battery, checking engine oil, washer fluid, lights, and tires, including the spare;
• packing food and water for passengers and pets;
• planning breaks at rest areas: https://www.th.gov.bc.ca/restareas/;
• obeying all posted speed limits and driving with caution, especially during bad weather;
• leaving the phone alone while behind the wheel;
• ensuring all passengers always use seatbelts;

For highway information throughout the weekend, checkout www.drivebc.ca.