Before that highway(Coquihalla Highway) was built I used to haul logs out of that area. As the highway was being built we hauled all the right of way logs out of the area.
The highway was finished in 1986 in time for Expo 86 in Vancouver.
After it was built many of us log haulers would use the road daily through the winter and rarely ever put on chains. Some of the empty Chip trucks and such would have to chain only because of they were pulling alot of weight without enough on the drive tires.
Back then the roads were maintained much better than they are now. Combine that with the new kind of truckers out there and yes there are many accidents.
The Highway through hell series is such a joke for many of us that used that highway daily.
I have driven my coach over that highway in the winter. It is like many other mountain passes just check the weather before you go.