B.C, police and public insurer launch intersection safety campaign

The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC), the Province of B.C. and police have launched a new initiative meant to put the brakes on intersection collisions, which represent about six of every 10 crashes in the province.

Given 241 intersection collisions each day, in addition to an annual injury toll of approximately 51,000, the high-risk driving awareness and enforcement campaign has two simple messages: slow down and stay focused.

Driving is one of the most complex things people do, a task made even more challenging at intersections, the ICBC reports.

Behaviours that are common causes of crashes include speeding, failure to yield, following too closely, ignoring a traffic control device and improper passing.

“Intersections crashes can have devastating consequences, especially when pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists are involved,” says justice minister and attorney general Shirley Bond. “There is no excuse for taking risks that will endanger yourself and others.”

Chief constable Jamie Graham, chair of the B.C. Chiefs of Police Traffic Safety Committee, adds that “as police officers, we see the heartbreaking effects that result from bad driving behaviours, and we know how easily they can be prevented.”