Four collisions between Sicamous and Revelstoke in 68 hours kill three, prompt calls for Highway 1 safety upgrades

Three people died and at least six were injured in four vehicle collisions on Highway 1 between Sicamous and Revelstoke within 68 hours, sparking urgent calls from provincial and federal politicians for safety upgrades to what they describe as one of the continent's most hazardous stretches of highway.

Columbia River—Revelstoke MLA Scott McInnis and Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies MP Mel Arnold each sent separate letters to B.C. Transportation and Transit Minister Mike Farnworth on Friday, Sept. 4, demanding near-term improvements to the corridor between Chase and Alberta. "People are scared to go to work, people are scared for their kids," McInnis said. "I know that highway is dangerous. It's one of the most dangerous stretches of highway in North America."

McInnis reported hearing concerns from families, workers, business owners, commercial operators and visitors about safety when travelling between Field and Sicamous. Arnold has been calling for improvements since 2016, repeatedly petitioning the federal government for increased funding to widen the largely two-lane corridor and boost law enforcement. He said he will not accept that collisions and fatalities are "just the way that things will be forever."

The Ministry of Transportation and Transit acknowledged that every death on B.C.'s highways is a tragedy and stated it is committed to improving safety, reliability and capacity. The ministry is working with ICBC to reduce crashes and noted that 125 kilometres (37 per cent) of Highway 1 under provincial jurisdiction between Kamloops and Alberta has been four-laned to date. The four-laning program is designed to reduce head-on collisions, improve passing opportunities and help traffic move more efficiently.

The ministry said safer travel depends on a combination of road design, vehicle safety and driver behaviour, and urged motorists to obey speed limits, adjust speed to conditions, maintain safe distances, pass only when safe and check for road and weather updates. Residents have reported excessive speeding, dangerous passing manoeuvres, aggressive driving, tailgating, distracted driving and other high-risk behaviour on Highway 1.