B.C. seatbelt-wearing rates approach national best — July 27
Road safety partners unveil rollover simulator as a reminder of the importance of buckling up
More British Columbians are buckling up. According to a recent Transport Canada survey, B.C. had the largest increase in seatbelt wearing rates in the last three years compared to all other provinces. B.C. has moved from below average to among the top provinces in Canada in the rate of seatbelt use.
"This is great news for our province," said Solicitor General John Les. "Reducing deaths and injuries on B.C. roads is a key commitment of this government and these new statistics show that the hard work of police, the good judgment of B.C. drivers, and the educational initiatives by ICBC are making our roads safer. However, work remains until every British Columbian is buckling up."
Today, road safety partners demonstrated the potentially deadly consequences of not wearing your seatbelt at the launch of the rollover simulator at the Prince George RCMP North District detachment.
A specially designed truck cab mounted on a spindle simulated what would happen to unbelted occupants, if the truck entered a 48 km/hr rollover crash. Members of the public, dignitaries and local media were on site as two adult-sized dummies inside the simulator violently collided with each other and the inside of the vehicle before being ejected.
"This graphic example illustrates the tremendous force exerted on the human body during a crash and drives home the message that seatbelts save lives," said Corporal Dave Domoney, RCMP. "We want British Columbians to understand that not wearing a seatbelt is extremely dangerous, and it's against the law."
The rollover simulator will travel to high schools throughout the North Central region in the coming months, accompanied an educational component called One Click. Prior to viewing the rollover simulator, students will watch and discuss the One Click multimedia presentation which is geared toward educating youth about the importance of seatbelts. In addition, the rollover simulator will debut at numerous public events throughout the year.
The One Click program was recently piloted to a group of secondary leadership students. The students were the first to view the presentation, offering positive feedback that the program made them more aware of the importance of wearing a seatbelt.
"Autoplan brokers are committed to road safety," said Lee Hill, Porter and McMillan Insurance. "Wearing a seatbelt reduces the risk of death in a motor vehicle crash by half. It is critical that we get this message across, especially to B.C. youth, who studies show are often tempted to take unnecessary risks."
This innovative rollover simulator project is sponsored by Autoplan brokers, ICBC and the RCMP. These partners share a commitment to reducing preventable traffic deaths and injuries through the regular use of seatbelts.
For more information on Transport Canada's surveys of seatbelt use in Canada, visit:
http://www.transportcanada.comFor information on seatbelt use in British Columbia, visit:
http://www.icbc.com/buy_car/buycar_seatbe.aspFor more information contact:
Dave Dickson
ICBC Regional Manager Loss Prevention
250-392-0022 or 250-305-6667
Alyson Gourley-Cramer
ICBC Marketing and Communications
250-561-5006 or 250-961-9299
