Vancouver snow: authorities respond to number of collisions

Authorities respond to number of collisions in Vancouver during snowfall

The snow wreaked havoc on the roads.

Vancouver police and fire crews responded to a number of collisions between Feb. 25-28 during snowy weather. Not all were weather related but police say they do see an increase in incidents during inclement weather. @VPDTrafficUnit/Twitter

The late-season snowfall that fell over Vancouver wreaked havoc on the roads.

The winter storm, which arrived in the region Saturday (Feb. 25) evening, resulted in numerous power outages and park closures. It also served as the perfect backdrop for breathtaking, frosty photos.

The inclement weather also forced TransLink to delay, detour, or cancel multiple routes across the city, and contributed to increased collisions on the road.

The Vancouver Police Department's (VPD) Traffic Unit shared that officers have responded to 19 collisions since the first snowfall, noting that these collisions are only the ones that required police attendance.

VPD spokesperson Sgnt. Steve Addison explains that when police do respond to collisions, it's usually because the incident involves an injury, significant property damage, or traffic disruption.

Addison also tells V.I.A. that officers responded to 23 collisions yesterday, Feb. 28, when the city was blanketed with more heavy snow.

"Not all were weather related, but we certainly do see an increase in incidents when the weather is poor," notes Addison.

Additionally, Vancouver Fire Rescue Services (VFRS) spokesperson Matthew Trudeau tells V.I.A. that 25 collisions have been reported to VFRS since Friday (Feb. 24).

An ICBC report on March 1, the day following the latest snowfall, states that the authority received a total of 5,304 claims across B.C. between Feb. 25 and Feb. 28.

Most claims were reported on Saturday (Feb. 25) when the snowy weather first arrived, totalling to 1,507 claims. The number of claims reported trickled down to 1,329 the next day and then lingered around 1,230 on Monday and Tuesday.

However, in comparison to data following last year's snowstorm in late November, the snowy weekend didn't cause a significant increase in claims.

In November, the amount of reported claims hovered between 1,000 and 1,800 with a sudden jump to 3,567 on Nov. 30, the day of the snowstorm.