Speeding rampant

Re. Jazmin Simpson’s letter Slow down on Highway 97 (Castanet, May 15)

I agree with Jazmin Simpson. Highway 97 between Summerland and West Kelowna has had dangerous drivers and serious accidents for decades.

I have witnessed so many incidents over the years, having driven this route to and from work before I retired. I reported several to the RCMP both in West Kelowna and Summerland but was generally treated with disdain.

The area by Gorman’s Mill (in West Kelowna) and the merge lanes before going by Dragon Lotus restaurant (south of Peachland) both in the southbound lanes are the two in my memory where drivers often speed or take extreme risks. Both are examples of illegal driving behaviour.

I’ve never seen the RCMP pull anyone over. I personally feel this section of highway is poorly monitored with, or without, undercover police.

Since the slide happened last August, the speeding and illegal driving behaviour has increased. The impatience on the part of drivers heading north is rampant. Two accidents in two days last week is an indication of what I am talking about.

Those weren’t “accidents,” they were human caused collisions. One fatality crash closed the highway for five to six hours.

We are surely going to see more of this in the coming days and weeks as summer approaches. Maybe the RCMP are too short-staffed or just don’t like to sit in their cars to remind people to slow down before, after, and in a work zone. But somebody has to do it.

Where is the highway patrol if not monitoring our highways and construction zones?

Karen Matheson