Crashes on the rise: ICBC

According to a new survey completed by Insights West, most drivers say that driving in the province has gotten worse in the last five years – pointing at bad driving behaviours as one of the top contributors to B.C.’s road problems.

Respondents feel that drivers today are more distracted, more aggressive and impatient, making driving in B.C. more dangerous. Despite this, the survey also found that 99 per cent of all respondents considered themselves to be good or excellent drivers.Yet the same respondents:

Incorrectly answered road test questions (more than 3/4 of respondents, 78 per cent, got at least one incorrect),

Admitted to being an aggressive driver (1 in 5, 18 per cent),

Said they might not follow road rules to make up time while driving (more than 1/3 of respondents, 37 per cent)

Felt that it was OK to ‘bend the rules’ every once in a while if no other drivers were around (1/3 of respondents, 32 per cent), and

Confessed to driving in an emotional state at least some of the time (99 per cent of all respondents).

ICBC has seen a marked increase in crashes in the last few years. The number of crashes across B.C. has jumped by 23 per cent in just three years – from 260,000 in 2013 to 320,000 in 2016. That's an average of 875 crashes per day in the province.

To help combat this growing issue, ICBC is launching a new road safety campaign to encourage all drivers to reflect on their driving habits. The campaign will focus on