Warning about winter highway driving in BC
Just a heads up to those who plan to drive in B.C. in winter. Don't drive your own car unless it is a beater or a rental car with good insurance coverage!
My wife and I have noticed that in the past few years, the coarseness of "sand" used on interior highways has increased remarkably: You can see individual pieces (a.k.a. gravel) on the road surface while driving at 110 km/h (~70 mph).
Result is that you're sprayed with gravel while passing or being passed. Rock chips on your paint job and windshields chips are very common.
I've heard from an auto glass shop that the province's Ministry of Transport and the provincial auto insurer ICBC decided that it was more cost effective to use coarse gravel which stays on the roadway longer even though it causes higher insurance claims for windshields and other comprehensive claims, which is offset by lower collision claims and lower gravelling costs. At about the same time, the provincial government ordered ICBC to discontinue free windshield replacement for the safest drivers (who paid an extra premium for this coverage). The glass shop manager says his shop can get over a dozen windshield claims a day during ski season.
We thought it was only us but someone we knew who foolishly drove his new Subaru from Vancouver to the Rockies and back incurred some $4k in damage from gravel.
FWIW, Vancouver-Whistler is relatively safe.