July 2005 News Releases
Road Sense makes good business
sense — July 28
Slow down and chill while celebrating BC Day
— July 27
Jury awards ICBC more than $2.3 million for
driver licensing fraud — July 19
Road safety partnership contributes to reduced
fatalities — July 15
Chill Out This Summer — July 13
Municipalities receive ICBC grants totaling
$4.3 million — July 4
Road Sense makes good business sense — July 28
Whether crashes occur on or off the job, the financial costs to companies can be staggering. Employers may end up paying for temporary staff and wages during recovery, recruitment and training costs, and unrecoverable vehicle costs. Moreover, the emotional effect of the loss of colleagues can have a negative impact on staff morale and lead to decreased productivity.
MISSION POSSIBLE @ Work is a new ICBC-supported road safety program geared for employees to improve driver knowledge and attitudes and help reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities. It is based on a program developed by the Alberta Motor Association. Sessions run approximately 25 to 45 minutes and cover the following topics: driver fatigue, distraction and inattention, unsafe speed, managing emotions, winter driving and animal hazards.
“ICBC invests in programs like MISSION POSSIBLE @ Work because safer roads help keep insurance rates low and stable for our customers,” said Mark Withenshaw, ICBC's Vice-President Loss Management and Operations Support. “MISSION POSSIBLE @ Work discusses common, but potentially dangerous driving scenarios -presented at the worksite, during workplace safety meetings.”
Sessions are offered to all staff members, regardless if employees drive on the job or not. Any road use has risks attached, whether it's driving a company truck, to and from work or on holidays.
“MISSION POSSIBLE @ Work
is a fantastic, affordable program that any size company can offer to its employees
to allow them to revisit the need to be aware of the hazards of driving,”
says Keith Playfair, Vice Chair -BC Forest Safety Council. “As
a member of the BC Forest Safety Council, I have been making all member associations
aware of the benefit of MISSION POSSIBLE @ Work
and the change I have seen in my own driving after being introduced to the course.”
For more information contact:
Doug Henderson
Ph: 604-982-1332
Slow down and chill while celebrating BC Day— July 27
ICBC is reminding drivers to slow down, and calm down, over the BC Day long weekend.
ICBC's aggressive driving awareness campaign encourages drivers to take a moment to chill, breathe and reconsider their actions. As well, police throughout the province are targeting dangerous and aggressive driving behaviours such as unsafe and sudden lane changes, tailgating or running red lights.
Drivers can use the following tips to avoid becoming an aggressive driver:
- Be realistic about your travel time, and consider altering your schedule to avoid traffic congestion or construction zones.
- Slow down and keep your distance between vehicles.
- Set an example to your children and other drivers, and practice courtesy on the road.
- If another driver is too close, safely move out of the way and allow the vehicle to pass.
- If you're going to be later than you had hoped, take a deep breath and accept the delay. Better to arrive late than not at all.
- Give other drivers the benefit of the doubt. They may be from out of town, in a hurry or distracted.
In 2004, more than 500 people were injured and four people died in crashes on BC roads over the three— Day weekend.
For more road safety tips, go to www.icbc.com.
If you are involved in a crash and need to file
a claim, ICBC's Dial-A-Claim service is open to assist customers 24 hours
a day, including holidays, at 604-520-8222 or 1-800-910-4222. You can also file
your claim online at www.icbc.com.
For more information contact:
Doug Henderson
Ph: 604-982-1332
Jury awards ICBC more than $2.3 million for driver licensing fraud — July 19
Civil lawsuit results in win for ICBC
Yesterday a B.C. Supreme Court jury has awarded ICBC more than $2.3 million in damages as the result of a fraudulent driver licensing scheme operating in the lower mainland.
The defendants David Chiu, Dragon Driving School Canada Ltd, and Crispina Diaz, a former employee of the ICBC drivers services centre in Burnaby, were ordered to pay more than $500,000 in general damages. In addition, Chiu was ordered to pay $950,000, Dragon Driving School $500,000 and Diaz $350,000, for a total of $1.8 million in punitive damages.
Chiu and Diaz were involved in a driver licensing scheme, where in exchange for the payment of a large fee, drivers were issued B.C. driver licences without completing the required testing. The applicants either avoided taking a knowledge test or a road test, or in some cases both.
“ICBC has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to fraud,” said Mark Withenshaw, ICBC's vice president of loss management. “This judgment sends a strong message to individuals who choose to be involved in providing or obtaining fraudulent driver licences.”
In addition, the court awarded ICBC more than $82,000 in damages from four individuals who obtained their drivers's licences fraudulently as part of this scheme. Prior to the trial ICBC reached settlements with 14 other individuals. ICBC recovered $154,000 including the full amounts paid on any vehicle damage claims, plus amounts for legal and investigation costs and punitive damages, from these individuals.
ICBC has cancelled all known driver licences connected with this scheme.
The corporation initiated a number of manual procedure changes when this scheme was uncovered and recently implemented some technology changes to prevent this type of activity from occurring again. ICBC continues to review its driver licensing processes and procedures on an ongoing basis.
”ICBC takes internal fraud very seriously, and
has processes in place to detect and deter fraudulent activity,” says
Withenshaw. “It is important to remember that the vast majority of ICBC
staff are honest, hard working and law abiding.”
ICBC's Tip Line is a tool that helps combat fraud, averaging more than
1,000 calls every month from people reporting a range of vehicle-related issues.
Information is confidential and callers can remain anonymous. The Tip Line number
is 604-661-6844 or 1-800-661-6844.
For more information contact:
Doug Henderson
Ph: 604-982-1332
Road safety partnership contributes to reduced fatalities — July 15
RCMP and ICBC team up to combat aggressive driving
There has been a significant reduction in fatalities in the Fraser Canyon in 2005, due in part to enforcement and education activities by the RCMP and ICBC. They have been working to reduce aggressive driving through police enforcement activities, the Canyon Watch program and advertising campaigns.
Please join us on Thursday, July 21 for presentations by Staff Sargeant Bob Beaudoin (RCMP Fraser Valley Traffic Services), Aileen Shibata (ICBC Regional Loss Prevention Manager) and Constable Mike O'Flynn (RCMP Fraser Valley Traffic Services).
Following the presentations, the media will have
an opportunity to fly in the RCMP helicopter to observe enforcement tactics
in action.
| Where: | Hope Airport (Driving directions, Trans Canada Highway east to exit 165, follow the airport signs.) Hope, BC |
| When: | Thursday July 21, 2005
|
| Why: | To profile initiatives by the RCMP and ICBC in reducing aggressive driving, and to provide photo opportunities on board the RCMP helicopter. |
We are requesting that your media outlet RSVP. This will facilitate us in accommodating your needs.
RSVP directly to Eric Green or Cst. Krista Vrolyk
at the telephone numbers noted above.
For more information contact:
Eric Green, ICBC, ICBC
Ph: 604-592-6419
Cel: 604-240-8108
Chill Out This Summer - July 13
ICBC and police launch new Speed and Aggressive Driving Campaign
Motorists have likely heard the message to slow down, but now they're being reminded to calm down. That's what ICBC and the Vancouver Police, along with municipal forces, RCMP and Speed Watch volunteers are encouraging drivers to do.
According to police statistics, unsafe speed was a contributing factor in 35 per cent of all fatal car crashes in B.C. in 2003, killing 160 people. Another 6,100 people were injured in unsafe-speed-related crashes in our province that year.
Tragically, in 2003 in Greater Vancouver alone, police reported that 20 people were killed and 1,160 people were injured in vehicle crashes due to unsafe speed and aggressive driving.
“When drivers combine unsafe speed with other aggressive driving behaviours like unsafe lane changes, following too closely or running red lights, the consequences can be deadly,” says ICBC Greater Vancouver Region Vice President, Lidi Holler. “Rather than getting you to your destination faster, speeding and aggressive driving can result in injury or death. These drivers represent a serious risk to other drivers, as well as to cyclists and pedestrians.”
ICBC is launching a public awareness campaign that provides tips to avoid aggressive driving behaviour and encourages drivers to take a moment to chill, breathe and reconsider their actions.
The objective of the campaign is to reduce the number of fatalities, injuries and crashes through the combined efforts of the campaign partners and a mix of education, engineering and enforcement.
That's why police will be on the lookout for speeders and aggressive drivers this summer implementing a maximum use of radar and laser call set-ups to target known problem areas.
“This is becoming an increasing priority for the Vancouver Police Department,” says department spokesperson Constable Tim Fanning. “We have to do everything we can to reduce the carnage. Aggressive driving is unacceptable. Remember, driving in B.C. is a privilege, not a right.”
In association with the Police Enforcement, Speed Watch Volunteer groups will also be out in communities across the Greater Vancouver region. The Speed Watch program is designed to help reduce speed related crashes by making drivers more aware of the actual speed they are travelling at.
“Speeding and aggressive driving are behaviours we criticize in other drivers,” suggests Holler. “However, when we do it, we tend to justify it. It doesn't matter if your intentions are good or bad, the consequences are the same, deadly ones. There is no such thing as safe speeding.”
ICBC encourages people to remember the following tips to avoid becoming an aggressive driver:
|
For more information about road safety and driving in B.C., visit www.icbc.com
| Community | Fatalities (2003) | Injuries (2003) |
| Vancouver | 3 | 340 |
| Burnaby | 4 | 150 |
| New Westminster | 0 | 39 |
| Coquitlam | 2 | 150 |
For more information contact:
Paul Goodman, ICBC
604-871-2437
Municipalities receive ICBC grants totaling $4.3 million — July 4
Thirty British Columbia cities, districts, and municipalities will receive ICBC grants in place of real property and business taxes totaling $4.3 million this year.
As a provincial Crown corporation, ICBC is not required to pay business and property taxes. Instead, communities receive annual grants that are equal to the taxes that would be levied if ICBC were a private business.
Grants are paid to communities with ICBC claim centres, administrative offices, and storage and salvage yards. The municipal grants vary according to size and location of the premises, and differences in local mill rates.
The following is a list of 2005 ICBC grants in place of taxes paid:
|
Abbotsford |
$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ |
134,060 248,124 8,533 81,144 80,434 430,539 13,155 8,510 11,978 69,677 87,526 47,371 75,400 70,556 131,931 249,864 871,903 163,143 21,183 89,203 17,817 10,502 219,085 40,663 181,208 22,408 33,214 617,570 25,316 272,943 |
For more information contact:
Doug Henderson
604-982-1332
