The B.C. Highway Patrol has increased enforcement across the Kootenays as thousands of people begin arriving for this weekend’s Shambhala Music Festival.
The annual “influx week” operation focuses on speeding, distracted driving, impaired driving and vehicle infractions before the festival, which begins Friday, July 24, and runs until Monday, July 27, at Salmo River Ranch.
Vince LeBlanc, a sergeant with Kootenay Highway Patrol, said motorists can expect to see a visible police presence throughout the region, with officers conducting traffic stops and mandatory alcohol screenings.
“You’ll see as many police officers as we can put out on the road, out on the road,” said LeBlanc. “Don’t be surprised if you get pulled over for almost any speed over the speed limit and for any vehicle infractions or even for a mandatory breath sample.”
LeBlanc said this year’s operation also includes additional motorcycle officers from the B.C. Highway Patrol motorcycle unit. He said the additional officers were brought in to increase enforcement during both influx week and the post-festival exodus.
“We’re hoping that increases deterrence to bad driving behavior.”
Officers will be stationed throughout the region, including along Highway 3, Kootenay Pass and Bombi Pass, as well as in communities including Creston, Keremeos and Beaverdell.
Post-festival check stops return
After the festival ends Sunday, enforcement will shift, with police setting up check stops Monday and Tuesday to screen drivers leaving the festival grounds.
LeBlanc said two check stops are expected to operate near Salmo, with officers checking motorists travelling both east and west.
He warned drivers to expect significant delays.
“There will be a huge slowdown for any motoring public. It doesn’t matter what your plans are or where you’re coming from. You’re going to make it through that checkstop,” said LeBlanc. “So add on an extra hour for being able to make it through that checkstop.”
The focus during the post-festival exodus will largely be on impaired driving, although LeBlanc said officers will also inspect vehicles to ensure they are safe for travel.
Festivalgoers are urged to wait at least 24 hours after using drugs before getting behind the wheel, with LeBlanc noting different substances affect drivers for varying lengths of time.
“If you’re at the festival on Sunday, don’t do any drugs anytime further. Give yourself 10 hours to sober up. Some drugs stay in the system for 24 hours and you are affected for 24 hours. Don’t do any drugs,” he said.
“And then give yourself plenty of time to sober up before you drive your vehicle.”
He added officers will also be looking for signs of fatigue, including slow movements, drowsiness and behaviour consistent with sleep deprivation.
Despite the lengthy delays, LeBlanc said festivalgoers are generally cooperative when speaking with officers.
“Festival goers are very cooperative. They have really candid conversations with us,” he said. “It’s just unfortunately some of them have done some drugs and that needs to be dealt with appropriately.”
Enforcement aimed at saving lives
The annual operation has drawn criticism over the years from some festivalgoers and local residents who argue the police presence is excessive.
However, LeBlanc said it has contributed to a significant reduction in serious crashes since post-Shambhala check stops began more than a decade ago.
“The efforts that are put forward by B.C. Highway Patrol for the past 12 years have reduced fatalities on our highways significantly,” he said.
“As a result of high enforcement and getting impaired drivers off the road, lives are saved. That’s the bottom line.”
LeBlanc said police expect to remove impaired drivers from the road again this year. He said many people mistakenly believe they are fit to drive because they have become accustomed to the effects of drugs or alcohol.
“The thing about being impaired is that in the beginning of being impaired, you go, ‘oh my God, I’m drunk. I can’t drive’ but then as time progresses your body gets used to being impaired,” he said.
“But you create masking mechanisms that allow you to survive with that level of impairment. So you actually get in your head a little bit better, but you’re not better at all. Not enough time has gone by for the body to process the drugs or alcohol to the point where it’s no longer in your system and They’re still affecting you.”
He also rejected the suggestion the enforcement campaign is intended to generate revenue through traffic tickets.
“Usually people with any enforcement have the misbelief that it’s all just a tax grab revenue generation. That’s furthest from the truth,” he said.
“These enforcement officers that are out there, RCMP, Nelson PD, the motorcycle unit, all these guys that are out there doing enforcement, they’re doing it for the safety of the road.”
LeBlanc said the enforcement operation is funded through provincial and federal policing resources and is not paid for by the festival.
“The cost of this enforcement is borne by the Province of British Columbia and the Canadian taxpayers,” he said, arguing the investment is justified because the operation is intended to prevent serious crashes and save lives on B.C. highways.
He said speeding, distracted driving and impaired driving remain the leading causes of fatal crashes in British Columbia, making the annual enforcement campaign a public safety initiative rather than a revenue-generating exercise.
Last year’s enforcement campaign resulted in more than 800 tickets, 83 drug-impaired driving investigations or suspensions, and roughly 60 vehicles being towed.
Want to get your business noticed? Have you considered advertising through your local radio station? Speak to one of our sales agents and find out how radio advertising can boost your business today. Call 250-365-7600 or email Vista Radio.
