July 2009 news releases

ICBC news releases

The Province, ICBC and police are encouraging drivers to plan ahead and drive safely for B.C. Day — July 29
Top five myths about drinking and driving — July 21
Important insurance information for ICBC customers affected by West Kelowna fires — July 20
ICBC's top five tips for teens behind the wheel — July 15

The Province, ICBC and police are encouraging drivers to plan ahead and drive safely for B.C. Day

Tips to stay safe and enjoy the August long weekend

Summer is now in full swing and the roads are busy with visitors and residents alike. Wherever you plan to travel to enjoy your B.C. Day long weekend, the Province, police and ICBC encourage you to make smart driving decisions.

Over the B.C. Day long weekend, there are approximately 1,730 crashes in B.C. resulting in 510 injuries and three deaths.*

We all play a role in making B.C. roads safer. Here are five smart driving tips for the B.C. Day long weekend:

No. 1 – Plan ahead: Impairment starts with your first drink, not after you’ve had a few. It’s fine to celebrate a sunny long weekend with a few beers and friends but if your activities are going to involve alcohol, arrange for a safe way home. Make plans to have a designated driver, take a taxi, public transit or call a friend or family member for a ride home.

No. 2 – Be realistic: …about your travel times and check the road situation before you leave. Check www.drivebc.com for possible highway closures before heading out and allow extra time for delays that may occur, especially over the long weekend when more vehicles will be on the road. If you’re going to be later than you expected – deal with it. Take a deep breath and accept the delay. Relax… it’s a long weekend after all.

No. 3 – Slow down and keep your distance: Slow down, especially if we get some unexpected rain, or if you’re driving on uneven roads. Always follow the posted speed limits in construction and playground zones. Weaving in and out of traffic is one of the top five high-risk behaviours that cause car crashes. Give other drivers the benefit of the doubt and keep your distance. Even with a lot of sunshine and favourable road conditions, you need to allow at least two seconds of following distance, and at least three seconds on high-speed roads. The latter also applies if you’re behind a motorcycle since it has a much shorter stopping distance.

No. 4 – Buckle up: If you don’t wear your seatbelt, you are 25 times more likely to be killed in a crash if ejected from the vehicle. In a 50 km/h head-on crash, a 150-pound adult not wearing a seatbelt will collide with other occupants, strike the inside of the vehicle or get thrown from the car with the same force as the weight of a 3½-ton truck.

No. 5 – Set an example: ...to your children and other drivers by being courteous and safe on the road. Your smart driving decisions can have a significant influence on others. So set an example, whether you’re a driver or passenger.

For more information and tips, visit www.icbc.com.

*Annual averages from 2004-2008 ICBC and police-reported data.

Media Contact:
Mark Jan Vrem (ICBC),
604-880-9833
Pierre Lemaitre (RCMP),
604-539-2717

Top five myths about drinking and driving

Too many people — especially young men — still drink and drive and make excuses for why it’s OK. But if you drive while impaired this summer, chances are you’ll get caught at a roadcheck, as part of a province-wide campaign by the Province, ICBC and police.

Although CounterAttack roadchecks, advertising, stricter penalties and rehabilitation programs have helped cut the number of deaths from drinking and driving by more than half in the past 30 years, it’s still a serious concern that kills an average of 116 people every year*.

Here are the top five myths about drinking and driving that some drivers still believe:

• I can hold my booze: Too many guys think drinking a six-pack of beer and then driving is OK, which is why 81 per cent of all impaired drivers in alcohol-related crashes are male*. So guys, if you think driving drunk will impress the ladies, think again. Remember those pick-up lines you thought sounded slick but actually acted as repellent? Alcohol not only impairs your ability to score a date, it impairs your vision, concentration and ability to react to unexpected hazards on the road.
• I know that I’m sober enough to drive: While you may be able to see and walk without staggering after drinking a few beers the reality is you can’t always tell when impairment kicks in — it actually starts with your first drink. Alcohol affects more than your vision and coordination. It affects your judgment, attention span, alertness, reaction time and ability to do more than one task at a time — vital things you need when you get behind the wheel.
• All I need is something to eat and I’ll be fine: While having a burger with your beer is a good idea, a full stomach is not an effective defence against impaired driving. And no amount of coffee, cold showers or fresh air will sober you up either. The only cure is time. In fact, it takes about six hours for your body to eliminate all the alcohol from your body when you have a blood alcohol concentration of .08, the legal limit.
• I won’t get caught: Police have stepped up CounterAttack roadchecks across the province this summer. Drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs face a range of penalties from 24-hour driving prohibitions and vehicle impoundments, 90-day administrative driving prohibitions to criminal charges, fines and jail time.
  
  Plus, drivers who have one or more driving-related criminal convictions or two or more driving prohibitions on or after January 1, 2008, will pay a Driver Risk Premium, separate from insurance premiums. On top of fines, all convicted drinking drivers who receive multiple driving prohibitions are required to attend an alcohol rehabilitation program and may have an alcohol interlock device installed in their vehicle to prevent them from starting or continuing to drive while impaired.
• I don’t drink and drive but driving after a joint is fine: Numerous studies have shown that “stoned” drivers can be every bit as dangerous as drunk drivers. Depending on what you’ve smoked, swallowed or injected, drug impairment ranges from slowed reflexes, flawed depth perception to hallucinations and seizures. And if you’ve been mixing alcohol and drugs and are tired from partying all night, this combination can be even deadlier. New legislation now allows police to test drivers for drug impairment and charge those who refuse to provide blood, saliva or urine samples.

To learn more information and safe driving tips, visit www.icbc.com.

*Annual averages from 2003-2007 police-reported data.

Media Contact:
Kim Thé
604-842-5023

Important insurance information for ICBC customers affected by West Kelowna fires

Customers who do not currently have comprehensive or specified perils coverage may not be able to purchase additional coverage depending on where they live or where their vehicle is located.

For customers on evacuation order:

• It is not possible to purchase Comprehensive or Specified Perils insurance coverage once you have been ordered to evacuate. 
• Customers in distress with insurance claims related to the fire will be dealt with on a priority basis. To make a claim, call 1-800-910-4222. ICBC’s Claims Contact Centre and local claim center staff are available to assist as required.

For customers on evacuation alert:

• Customers may purchase third-party liability insurance or a temporary operating permit to move an uninsured vehicle to safety.
• It is not possible to purchase Comprehensive or Specified Perils insurance coverage once you have been put on evacuation alert. 

For all customers in the Kelowna area:

• If you and your vehicle are not affected by an evacuation alert or evacuation order, you can purchase ICBC insurance without any fire-related restrictions.
• Autoplan brokers outside the evacuated areas remain open for business to support customers through these tough times.
• ICBC’s Customer Service Contact Centre is available to answer questions. Call 1-800-663-3051.
• Customers are also reminded that if their insurance is about to expire they can renew their policies up to a month before the expiration date.

ICBC recommends comprehensive or specified perils coverage for all customers but especially those who live in areas that are susceptible to forest fires. Anyone interested in these types of insurance coverage can talk to their Autoplan broker.

Note: ICBC insurance experts are available to speak on air. Contact Ryan Detwiller at 250-979-4612 to arrange interviews

Media Contact:
Ryan Detwiller
250-979-4612

ICBC's top five tips for teens behind the wheel

What your teen needs to know to drive smart and safe

The weather is hot, school is out and now your teenager wants to hit the road – in your car that is! In 2008, 49,500 teens got their first BC driver's licence.

Once your teen has passed a knowledge exam and vision test, they are permitted to get behind the wheel – with some restrictions. However, stats show that teens are at a higher risk of being in a crash, with one in five new drivers involved in a crash within the first two years of driving.

Remember your first taste of freedom and the feeling of being invincible? While it's an exciting time for any teen, ICBC is offering five tips to help you teach your teen how to drive smart and safe:

1. Set the right example: Driving lessons start much earlier than you may realize. Your children will observe your actions and attitude from a very young age – even when they are still sitting in a car-seat. Kids log a lot of hours as passengers and will easily pick up any bad road safety habits you display. Show them how to drive smart and, remember, most driving slip-ups result from lapses of attention – so stay away from anything that takes your mind from the road, whether it is a cell phone, eating or make-up. When your teen is of an age to start learning how to drive, you will get a copy of ICBC's Tuning Up for Drivers manual with their learner's licence. Review it with your teen – it's a great hands-on manual for new drivers and their supervisors. This is a good time to brush up on your own driving skills and work on any bad habits.

2. Get in the experts: It's certainly a good idea to give your teen as much driving experience as possible, so in addition to you teaching them how to drive safely consider giving them the opportunity to take some lessons with a professional driving instructor. Many driving school courses include classroom time and road safety theory. More importantly, a driving school instructor can be objective without the emotion involved in many parent/teen relationships. If you do choose this route, remember to stay involved and discuss what they are learning.

3. Remember the restrictions: BC's Graduated Licensing Program (GLP) has been a great success in lowering the new driver crash rate by ensuring that new drivers gain the driving experience they need in a controlled, somewhat lower-risk environment, and then expanding their privileges as they become safer on the roads. As a parent, you should be aware of the restrictions of the GLP program and ensure that your teen sticks to them. Some of the key restrictions of the novice stage are that you always display your green 'N' sign on the back of your vehicle when driving it, that you must not drive with any alcohol in your body, and that you are limited to one passenger (immediate family exempt) – unless you are driving with a supervisor 25 years or older that has a valid, full driver's licence.

4. Put it in writing: You may want to consider developing a family contract and set of rules that are in line with the GLP restrictions. Go to icbc.com and create your own family contract that sets out your expectations of your teen, the responsibilities you want them to show on the road, as well as the consequences for breaking those rules. By providing specific rules and restrictions, this removes misinterpretation. Like any contract, it should be a two-way deal – as a responsible parent, you could agree to drive your teen home if they've been drinking to stop them from even being tempted to drive impaired.

5. Choose the right vehicle: The type of car your teen learns to drive on can make a big difference. It's best to learn how to drive on a vehicle that is a manageable size and has good visibility. Stick to an automatic transmission until your teen has mastered the basics. Start thinking about your vehicle needs well before your teen starts driving so that you've got the right vehicle in your driveway when they come home with their learner's licence. The ideal car for a first-time teen driver is one that is easy to drive and decreases the odds of being involved in a crash and suffering an injury.

As a final bonus tip, if you are allowing your teen to get some driving experience by using your car, don't forget to check that you have the right insurance coverage for that kind of use. If your vehicle is currently rated in an experienced rate class (all drivers in a household with at least 10 years' driving experience) then the rate class will need to be changed.

For a lot more of these tips, go to www.icbc.com, click on 'Driver Licensing', 'Getting Licensed', and then 'For parents of teens learning to drive in B.C.'. Other great resources on icbc.com include our RoadSense video tips and our Online Practical Knowledge test for a learner's licence.

Media Contact:
Adam Grossman
604-982-1332