B.C. reviews speed limits on longer stretches of highways in rural areas

KAMLOOPS, B.C. – British Columbia is launching a review of speed limits on longer stretches of highways between communities, mostly in rural parts of the province.

Transportation Minister Todd Stone says the public is invited to provide input on speed limits through eight forums around B.C. and through a website.

The forums starting next month will be held in Kamloops, Kelowna, Cranbrook, Prince George, Dawson Creek, Nanaimo, Chilliwack and Vancouver.

Stone says the Coquihalla Highway and the Trans-Canada Highway could be prime candidates for a change in speed limits, but that provincial highways that run through major urban centres will not be part of the review.

He says research around the world suggests drivers who don’t keep up with the flow of traffic, not speeders, cause accidents, so the review may result in increased speed limits in some areas and reductions in others by next spring.

Along with public input, the Transportation Ministry will collect data from various groups including the RCMP, the Union of B.C. Municipalities, the Insurance Corp. of B.C. and the trucking association.