B.C. Highway Patrol says drivers in the Kootenay region received 57 excessive-speeding tickets in May as police across the province reported an increase in dangerous driving behaviour.
The Kootenay region, which includes Revelstoke, Nelson, Cranbrook and Golden, recorded 1,371 speeding tickets during the month, including 57 cases where vehicles were impounded for excessive speeding.
Provincewide, officers issued 568 excessive-speeding tickets in May 2026, up from 403 during the same enforcement campaign in 2025. While the overall number of speeding tickets declined, police say the rise in excessive-speeding violations remains a concern.
“A lower overall number of tickets is good, but it’s not an indication that we are actually driving more safely,” said Insp. Chad Badry of B.C. Highway Patrol. “BC Highway Patrol officers wrote significantly more excessive speeding tickets in May 2026. Those tickets indicate a dangerous lack of judgment from many drivers.”
The Kootenays also featured in one of the month’s notable enforcement actions. On May 23-24, during the May Days Festival in Fruitvale, B.C. Highway Patrol conducted check stops that removed five impaired drivers from the road. Officers also arrested a high-risk domestic-violence suspect for allegedly breaching a conditional sentence order and stopped two speeding motorcyclists who had no licences or insurance.
Police are also reminding motorcyclists to use extra caution during the summer riding season. According to B.C. Highway Patrol, motorcyclists are three times more likely to be injured or killed in a crash than occupants of passenger vehicles, and one in three motorcycle crashes does not involve another vehicle.
The release comes as B.C. Highway Patrol reported five fatalities on B.C. roads during the Victoria Day long weekend, compared with no fatalities during the same holiday period in 2025.
B.C. Highway Patrol said it will continue its enforcement efforts throughout the summer and urged drivers to slow down and make safe decisions behind the wheel.
