High-risk driving campaign launched to B.C. driver injuries, deaths
There are 226 crashes every day at B.C. intersections
A month-long high-risk driving campaign to reduce preventable collisions in B.C. was launched by ICBC, the provincial government and police agencies on Tuesday.
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"In B.C. every day there are 226 crashes that happen at intersections," said Lindsay Matthews, ICBC's director responsible for road safety. "That's nearly one crash every five minutes."
"Nearly four pedestrians are injured or killed in an intersection every single day in this province," she said. "That's an unacceptable number."
Failure to yield the right of way is one of the leading causes of crashes that result in injuries or deaths. Drivers need to pay more attention particularly at intersections, according to ICBC and the police.
Pay attention
Chief Officer Neil Dubord, chair of the B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police Traffic Safety Committee, urged everyone to pay more attention to the road.
"High-risk driving behaviour such as tailgating, failure to yield and speeding has no place on our roadways," he said. "As police officers we see the heart-breaking effects that result from bad driving behaviours and we know how easily they can be prevented."
Drivers should be particularly careful when making left-hand turns at intersections, according to ICBC. Drivers shouldn't panic if the light turns yellow while they're waiting to make a left-hand turn because it is legal to complete the turn if they're already in the intersection.
Drivers should also consider the speed of oncoming vehicles and always yield if in doubt about who has the right-of-way, the groups said.