Return to school means planning extra time for the commute

September is here, and with it comes a busier commute.

Police departments around the Lower Mainland are reminding everyone to give themselves extra time for their commute.

“Every year, the population of Metro Vancouver is getting a little bit bigger. People love to live here, so you need to expect that there will be more traffic on the roads, particularly around back-to-school,” explained Cpl. Michael McLaughliis of the BC Highway Patrol.

McLaughlin says if people are caught driving dangerously, they could have their car impounded on the spot and face some stiff fines as well.

He recommends planning for extra time as the seasonal change is normal.

“The best thing? Slow down, give yourself extra time. Don’t expect to get to where you’re going really quickly or more quickly than you did in the summer.”

1130 traffic reporter Alex Carrigan says callers reported road rage incidents near the Massey Tunnel during the morning rush.

“One of the big things that we always see is that people don’t necessarily leave earlier, before the traffic starts to accumulate,” said Carrigan.

“Then they see that they’re late for work, they’re late to their classes because they don’t give that extra time.

With files from Ben Bouguerra.