Police are working on a plan to cut down on the dangerous driving of cigar boats on Shuswap Lake.
At a recent council meeting, Coun. Alan Harrison asked Staff Sgt. Scott West if there’s anything the detachment can do to dissuade the use of such boats, particularly if they’re unsafe.
West said he’s been speaking to Transport Canada, noting that a lot of the issues are a result of speed and noise.
“There is legislation in place that deals with the noise. The issue is, apprehension of these guys is a problem for us.”
He said the size of their engines makes them difficult to apprehend.
“There is a plan that we might be hatching for next spring, with the neighbours to the east and west… that might or might not involve bringing in a helicopter,” West hinted.
“We do watch them on the lake, but the trouble is catching up and proving who the driver is.”
He said reading the identification numbers on the boats is also difficult at high speeds with waves obscuring them.
Harrison said he appreciates the effort to work with other jurisdictions. Coun. Chad Eliason asked if there would be a way to use citizens as a resource for police on the lake.
West said the difficulties arise in finding the right boat with the right numbers at the right boat launch along a thousand miles of shoreline.
“It’s not insurmountable… but I have a little bit more proactive, in-your-face approach which I would like to have in place this spring.”
Coun. Kevin Flynn said he spends a lot of time on the lake and agrees it’s a safety issue, “but I think spending your time on trucks running lights on the Trans-Canada through town is more of a priority.”
Coun. Ken Jamieson noted that council has asked the province for intersection cameras and even had funds to contribute, but ICBC said it wasn’t a good use of the city’s money.
“It keeps coming up. People talk to me occasionally – where are the cameras?”
West said he would have to see the statistics on the intersections, and suggested “there might be other tactics we could take that wouldn’t cost as much but might change the attitudes of drivers.”
He said another group is advocating for a traffic light at Sunnybrae Canoe Point Road.
Jamieson pointed out that, as a long-time resident, traffic is a constant concern.
“Keep working on that – we appreciate it.”