Posted:
May 9, 2021
Safety program well managed but improvements can be made
The Office of the Auditor General of British Columbia has released a new audit report: Avalanche Safety on Provincial Highways.
The audit examined whether the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is effectively managing its avalanche safety program to:
* ensure the safety of highway users; and
* minimize the frequency and duration of avalanche-related road closures.
Key findings
Overall, the audit concluded that the ministry is effective in its management of the avalanche safety program.
“There haven’t been any avalanche-related deaths on provincial highways in the last 20 years,” said Michael Pickup, auditor general. “And over a similar time frame, both the frequency and duration of highway closures have shown a decreasing trend. That’s good news. But our audit also found areas the ministry can improve on.”