ICBC and police across B.C. are launching a new campaign on driving at safe speeds.
In a release, ICBC says it is an education and enforcement campaign designed to encourage drivers to drive at safe speeds to prevent crashes and to keep everybody safe on the road.
Statistics show the faster you drive, the more likely you end up in a car crash, where the risk of a crash goes up by 50 percent just by driving 5 kilometers over the speed limit.
Across BC, on average, 84 people are killed, and 2,168 injured in speed-related crashes. In the Southern Interior, 32 people are killed on average each year, with 617 people injured in speed related crashes.
ICBC director of road safety Shabnem Afzal says speed plays a role in every crash.
“The higher the speed, the more time and distance you need to stop, making it harder to avoid crashing,” said Afzal.
“When you drive at a safe speed, you can prevent crashes and protect the lives of all road users.”
For the police, agencies will be bringing enforcement and automated cameras. ICBC will work with speed watch volunteers to set up speed-reader boards to track how fast people are travelling.
ICBC recommends you to slow down, be aware of vulnerable road users, and to follow the speed limits, even in ideal conditions.
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