Fewer tickets were issued in the Kootenays during this year’s Drive Relative to Conditions campaign.
BC Highway Patrol issued 838 tickets in the region, which includes Revelstoke, Nelson, Cranbrook and Golden. That is 333 fewer than in 2025, when 1,171 were issued.
The campaign runs every October. Across B.C., nearly 1,200 fewer tickets were written than last year.
BC’s Drive to Conditions Campaign. (Image Credit: BC Highway Patrol)
Highway Patrol blames lower staffing levels, but says a video of a traffic stop near Merritt shows drivers are still reluctant to slow down in poor conditions.
On Oct. 25, an officer patrolling Highway 97C in wet snow and rain saw a dark F-350 pickup emerge from the fog.
Police say radar clocked the truck at 166 km/h in a 110 km/h zone. After the stop, officers found it had not been inspected for mechanical modifications and defects, as required by a Notice and Order issued in August 2026.
The 28-year-old Abbotsford driver received a seven-day impound, a $368 ticket for excessive speeding, a $598 ticket for failing to comply with an order, and a notice and order requiring the truck’s insurance be suspended immediately.
Fines, repairs and at least three years of high-risk driver premiums and escalating insurance are expected to push the total cost above $4,000.
“We ask all drivers to understand that posted speed limits are created for ideal, dry, clear, daytime conditions,” says Superintendent Lori Orstad, BC Highway Patrol.
“Safe driving always starts with staying sober and alert, but you also need to slow down for poor weather, darkness, or heavy traffic – exactly the sort of conditions we see more in fall and winter.”
Pedestrians and other vulnerable road users are also urged to put their phones away, stay alert, wear bright clothing with reflective piping, and obey traffic lights and crosswalk rules.
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