Highway 3 is a popular route for people in the south Okanagan travelling to Vancouver, but the section between Hope and Princeton is also one of the deadliest highways in the province. A new ICBC report reveals there’s been 24 fatalities on that stretch of highway over the last 10 years.
“Historically, every long weekend from spring to fall, we’d always get a fatal on almost every long weekend. We can almost count on it,” says Sgt. Harold Hallett with the South Okanagan Traffic Services (SOTS).
Sgt. Hallett says the highway’s design is part of the reason why it has been so dangerous to drivers.
SOTS has been working with Fraser Valley Traffic Services, ICBC, Ministry of Transportation and road maintenance contractors to improve the highway and make it safer.
Larger speed limit signs and rumble strips have been added in recent years.
Princeton Mayor Frank Armitage says those changes are long overdue, but still much appreciated.
“We’re elated the provincial government has done major reconstructing of the road within the first 40 km of Princeton,” he says.
The RCMP have stepped up their enforcement during those deadly long weekends.
As a result of the combined efforts, there’s been fewer deadly accidents.
“Between 2011 and 2013, we went two-and-a-half years without a single fatal,” Sgt. Hallett says.
While the number of deaths on the Hope-Princeton have dropped recently, RCMP say they’ve noticed a new tread: there’s been more motorcycle crashes.
So police caution all motorists, especially motorcylists, to slow down during those tight corners.
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