Perhaps it's no surprise the province chose the first stretch of hot vacation weather to announce speed limit hikes on some of B.C.'s rural highways. Summer time is road trip time.
For the most part, the speed limit changes announced this week won't change a lot. They boost speed limits only about 10 kilometres an hour on 15 per cent of the roadways examined - to speeds most drivers are already travelling.
That weekend jaunt from the British Properties to the Whistler condo might be a few minutes shorter.
It's welcome, but hardly what we'd consider a key government priority.
When it comes to the travelling public, however, the government rarely misses a chance to trumpet its car-friendly bias.
People like their cars. The ability to drive faster will make some portions of the electorate - particularly those in Liberaldominated portions of B.C. - happy.
This week's modest car-friendly announcement followed others - Christy Clark's vow that the Massey Tunnel will be replaced with a bridge, plus the opening of the new Port Mann Bridge itself and improvements to roads in vote-rich suburbs south of the Fraser.
Apparently Liberal voters like to be in the driver's seat. Environmentalists and the socialist hordes get to sit in the back of the bus.
Concentrating resources on cars, of course, makes no sense for the majority of British Columbians. Ironically, the support for raising speed limits was highest in the Lower Mainland, where traffic issues have more to do with continual gridlock.
Only an end to our love affair with private vehicles - and government support for that - will have an impact there.
