Police in Parksville Qualicum Beach were kept busy during the holiday weekend, dealing with a total of 18 motor vehicle incidents over three days.
Cpl. Jason Racz with Oceanside RCMP said there were 10 incidents on Dec. 24, six on Dec. 25 and two on Dec. 26.
Even leading into the new year, Racz reported five incidents on Tuesday, Dec.28.
Thankfully, there were no fatalities reported.
“The inclement weather has been a factor in all of these collisions,” said Racz. “I think it’s safe to say that people, especially on Highway 19 – the Inland Highway – get lulled into a false sense of security, given that there is regular maintenance going on, so far as snow removal.”
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Racz also cautioned that there is a need for people to adjust their driving habits in order to cope with poor and unforeseen conditions, such as black ice which can catch many people by surprise.
In the Parksville Qualicum Beach region, DriveBC.ca has four weather condition alerts; two along Highway 19 and 19a between Lantzville to Dashwood; and two along Highway 4a between Errington to Port Alberni.
Each weather alert indicates slippery driving conditions and compact snow on the road.
“It’s not the summertime, so please don’t drive the posted speed limit,” said Racz.