On average, 19 people lose their lives every year in North Central B.C. from speed-related crashes.
It’s a worrisome statistic that has led ICBC to join forces with the provincial government, as well as the RCMP, as they launch a new month-long campaign focusing on speed and urging drivers to slow down.
“With a collision at 20 kilometres per hour, nearly all pedestrians will survive a crash. But 90 per cent will survive at 40 kilometres per hour. At 80 kilometres an hour, the survival rate is less than 50 per cent,” Road Safety Coordinator for ICBC in Northern B.C., Doug MacDonald told MyPGNow.
With the new campaign, police will be targeting speeders during May, and Speed Watch volunteers will also be set up in communities to remind drivers of their speed.
“Driving over the speed limit really doesn’t get you there any faster, and instead increases your chances of crashing,” said ICBC’s Vice-President of Public Affairs, Lindsay Matthews. “When you slow down, you see more of the road and it gives you more time to react to the unexpected.”
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