Highway Sea to Sky before Furry Creek and Squamish – photo courtesy ICBC

Prince George, B.C. – With the Victoria Day long weekend ahead of us ICBC is reminding motorists to slow down and be safe now throughout summer.

ICBC notes crashes and injuries increase on long weekends increase due to many factors including speeding – last year over the Victoria Day long weekend for example 490 people were hurt in 1,900 crashes in B.C.

In preparation for more cars on the road, ICBC and police are launching an education enforcement campaign to tie in with this long weekend.

As such, police will be out on B.C. roads targeting high-risk driving behaviours and Speed Watch volunteers will be set up in communities across the province encouraging drivers to slow down.

ICBC has also provided some tips to ensure everyone’s safety this weekend. They include:

• Let others into your lane: Don’t speed up as someone is trying to pass you. Make room instead.
• Slow down: Pay attention to posted speed limits, and in bad weather slow down.
• Plan ahead: Give yourself extra time to get to your destination
• Leave your phone alone: Don’t call or text while behind the wheel – it’s prohibited. If you must take or make a call pull over to the side of the road.

Last year ICBC says 38 people were injured in 140 crashes throughout the North Central region over the Victoria Day long weekend.

(ICBC calculates Victoria Day long weekend stats from 6 p.m. Friday to midnight Monday).