On New Years Eve an average of two people are killed and 200 are injured in more than 600 crashes every year on B.C. roads, according to ICBC.
On Vancouver Island, an average of 30 people are injured in 90 crashes that day.
Central Vancouver Island Traffic Services NCO Cpl. Mike Elston promised police will be out in full force over the holiday season, including and especially on New Years Eve.
Elston is reminding residents to plan a safe ride home if they’re planning on ringing in the new year with a few drinks. There are lots of options — from securing a designated driver to calling a taxi cab or using public transit.
In an ICBC survey, designated drivers across B.C. shared their funniest experiences getting their friends and family home safely. Designated drivers play an important role and ICBC is sharing these stories to encourage everyone to take their turn as the designated driver over the holidays.
Here’s some of our favourites:
• “I delivered an intoxicated friend to an address he gave me only to find out the next day that he didn’t live there. The residents looked after him and I drove him to his actual home the next day.”
• “I was driving someone home and he was giving me directions. When we arrived, he got out and was met at the door by a woman who refused to let him in. Turns out, they had been divorced for two months and in his drunken condition, he forgot he no longer lived there.”
• “I was the designated driver for 12 ladies celebrating a birthday. I rented a van and drove them to several bars. I was surrounded by all these beautiful women and they would only dance with me… I never had a better night in all of my single life.”
• “I was designated driver for my brother-in-law in Belgium this summer. I got to drive his Mercedes CLS 320. If only I had more friends with high-end or exotic cars. Anyone with a Porsche Turbo need a driver?”
