By Ethan Ready

BC Day Safety

Safety top of mind this BC Day long weekend

Jul 30, 2020 | 4:31 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – This B.C. Day long weekend, our roads will be busy, you may even be looking to enjoy yourself a campfire. But no matter what your plans are, some local services are reminding everyone to be safe.

Police will be setting up CounterAttack roadchecks across the province to get impaired drivers off of roads. If you’re caught driving impaired, you could end up paying in a number of lasting ways – from increased insurance premiums to fines, car impoundment or even jail time.

On average, according to data collected by ICBC between 2015 and 2019, four people are killed and 620 people injured in 2,200 crashes across the province over the B.C. Day long weekend.

Here in the North Central region of the province, on average, 26 people are injured in 130 crashes every year over the B.C. Day long weekend.

ICBC reminds everyone to do a pre-trip check of their vehicle, including checking your oil, coolant levels and lights, and inspect your tires in order to make sure they’re in good condition and properly inflated. Also, with the warmer weather, it’s important to be mindful of motorcyclists and RVs.

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Another service keeping safety top of mind is BC Wildfire Service, especially with the sudden shift into much warmer temperatures.

According to Rachelle Winsor of the Prince George Fire Centre, we’re expected to experience some dry lightning this weekend, which may result in possible wildfires.

So far this year, 85 per cent of B.C.’s wildfires so far have been linked to human activity. The Prince George Fire Centre’s numbers are identical, with 44 wildfires in the region, 36 of those have been caused by humans. The BC Wildfire Service urges responsible fire-use this BC Day long weekend.

Campfire safety and fire precautions:

• Campfires must not be larger than 0.5 metres high or 0.5 metres wide.
• Never light a campfire or keep it burning in windy conditions. Weather can change quickly, and wind may carry embers to other combustible material.
• Maintain a fireguard around the campfire. This is a fuel-free area where all flammable materials (grass, leaves, kindling, etc.) have been removed right down to the soil.
• Never leave a campfire unattended.
• Have a shovel or at least eight litres of water available to properly extinguish your campfire.
• Make sure the ashes are cool to the touch before retiring for the night or leaving the area for any length of time.