On Sept. 5, the B.C. Liberal government, ICBC and the province’s police forces launched a month-long distracted driving campaign using a driving simulator to demonstrate the impact of distractions behind the wheel.
Distracted driving is the third leading cause of fatal car crashes in British Columbia, trailing behind speed and impaired driving. On average, 91 people are killed each year in B.C. due to driver distractions, such as using a hand-held electronic device behind the wheel.
Police are stepping up enforcement across the province and will be checking for distracted drivers throughout September.
A 2012 Ipsos Reid survey, conducted on behalf of ICBC, showed that B.C. drivers consider texting while driving to be just as risky as drinking and driving, yet 40 per cent of those who own cell phones admit they’ve used their hand-held phone while driving.
The distracted driving campaign aims to change driver attitudes and behaviours. Drivers can create a culture where people encourage each other to avoid distractions behind the wheel so that our roads are safer for everyone.
For more tips and information on this year’s distracted driving campaign, visit www.icbc.com.
