The days of RCMP traffic officers spending their days writing tickets and patrolling roads have evolved during the past two decades into a much-expanded role of crash investigations.
That's the word, according to Cpl. Tim Lyons, who heads up the 100 Mile House RCMP Traffic Services unit.
"The new traffic unit of today is so different than 10-20 years ago ... [when] it wasn't seen as an essential unit. We went out and wrote tickets."
Now, RCMP traffic units are specialized, like homicide units or drug squads, he explains.
Enforcement on the highway is the traffic officer's primary goal.
So, Lyons says these officers need to be out in the high-crash and high-incident zones every day.
"Our high-crash zone for 100 Mile House is basically from about 105 Mile to 132 Mile. That's where we've had the majority of our fatal and serious crashes."
Members in these zones are assigned to try to keep roadways safe, he adds, by slowing the motorists down, ensuring seatbelts are being used, and their number 1 priority is getting impaired drivers off the road.
"That being said, our number 2 goal is criminal crash investigations."
It used to be people would say even a crash causing injury or death was a vehicle "accident", he says, but today's concept involves three aspects to crash causes.
These are the human factor, the environmental factor and the mechanical factor, Lyons explains.
The human factor causes 99.9 per cent of crashes, he says, with the environmental and mechanical factors together accounting for the other 0.1 per cent.
These frequently involve impaired, speeding or distracted drivers and driving too fast for conditions.
"Just because the limit is 100 kilometres per hour (km/h), doesn't mean you can do 100 km/h [due to road conditions]."
There are also survivable crash situations where people are killed by not wearing their seatbelt, he notes.
A new regional approach has traffic units in Cariboo communities joining forces to determine collision causes, he adds.
These are also supported by an expert Criminal Crash Investigations team in Prince George, which Lyons says is "a great resource to call."
The first few moments a traffic unit member is on site is when the key determinations on criminal crashes are typically made, he explains.
"[Fatal] crashes are investigated as 'homicides on wheels' nowadays. We don't just say 'oops, the guy was sleepy' or 'the guy was on his medication'."
If alcohol or drugs are involved, for instance, Lyons says it automatically becomes a criminal crash.
Confirming who was actually driving may require statements from witnesses, forensic examinations, air bag DNA, seat positions and other evidence.
"We are expected to step up to the plate and conduct a full and thorough investigation."
Preparing cases for the Crown counsel uses Major Case Management, Lyons explains, and involves "intelligence-led enforcement" in an organized, digital report.
The RCMP federal strategy is all about keeping Canada's roads safe, he says, adding Canada is among the top 10 safest countries in the world.
Last year, 100 Mile House RCMP unit members issued 120 excessive speeding tickets (41 km/h or more over the speed limit), which Lyons says is second only to Valemount within the RCMP North District.
"Right now B.C. is doing exceptional work, I think, in getting us the tools we need in getting aggressive drivers, and impaired drivers off the road."