During every month from May to September, an average of 141 speed-related crashes will result in injury or death in B.C.
ICBC released the jarring statistic Tuesday (May 3) with a warning: slow down. It and B.C. police departments are running a month-long campaign in May reminding drivers to pump their brakes and use common sense.
“Reducing your speed gives you more time to react and helps ensure that everyone on the road arrives at their destination safely,” ICBC’s vice-president of customer experience and public affairs, Lindsay Matthews, said in a news release.
Speeding is the leading cause of car crash fatalities in B.C., according to police-reported data between 2016 and 2020. In those years, an average of eight people were killed in such crashes every month throughout the summer.
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The numbers are worst in the Lower Mainland, where an average of 27 people are killed and 39 people are injured as a result of speed-related crashes each year. Deaths are even higher in the Southern Interior, with an average of 31 people killed each year. The region’s overall number is brought down by an average of six injuries a year.
On Vancouver Island, about 12 people are killed and 13 people are injured annually from speed-related crashes. The Northern Central region has the lowest number, with 12 people killed on average and one person injured.
Speed-related crashes include instances where a driver was going an unsafe speed, was exceeding the speed limit, or was driving too fast for the conditions, according to ICBC.
It says drivers should always allow a following distance of two seconds behind other vehicles in good conditions, three seconds on highways, and at least four seconds in poor weather conditions.
More tips on safe travel and penalties for speeding can be found at icbc.com.
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