ICBC releases BC's top-10 crash locations — July 24

More than 270 crashes take place every day at intersections in BC

ICBC has released its annual list of the top-10 crash locations in BC, as well as posted on www.icbc.com the top-10 crash locations for more than 60 communities across the province. By highlighting high-crash locations, ICBC hopes to draw attention to the larger issues of high-risk driving behaviour and how driver behaviour impacts the cost of insurance.

There is a strong link between certain high-risk driving behaviours and crashes. Excessive speed, failing to yield, improper passing, and running red lights or stop signs caused 45 per cent of fatal crashes on our roads in 2005.

"The provincial government and ICBC are committed to improving road safety across the province. Last year, ICBC invested $48 million to help reduce crashes. As we continue to invest in road safety through education campaigns, enhanced enforcement and engineering; motorists are encouraged to do their part by driving safely," said John Les, Solicitor General and Minister responsible for Public Safety.

ICBC and police will be focusing on high-risk driving behaviours through education and enforcement campaigns this summer, with an added focus on preventing crashes at intersections and drinking and driving. Enforcement will be supported by Air One, the Lower Mainland's traffic safety helicopter. Air One gives police an added edge by quickly moving beyond municipal boundaries to catch unsafe drivers.

"Insurance rates are directly affected by the number of crashes on our roads. The more crashes there are, the more we must all pay in insurance premiums. Bad driving habits affect everyone's insurance rates," said Nicolas Jimenez, ICBC director of Road Safety.

Currently, high-risk drivers are not paying premiums that reflect the risk they represent. For implementation in 2008, ICBC is proposing higher rates for high-risk drivers. Higher rates for high-risk drivers mean benefits for good drivers.

The top-10 crash locations are determined by the number of crashes, injuries and fatalities at the intersection in 2006. Traffic volume, road design and driving behaviour all play a part in the frequency of crashes. ICBC works with local and provincial governments, community and business organizations, and the police to improve road safety.

Top-10 crash locations in British Columbia - 2006

Rank	Location	City	Number of incidents*
1	Trans-Canada Hwy & Willingdon Ave	Burnaby	352
2	Knight St & SE Marine Dr	Vancouver	304
3	Knight St Bridge	Richmond	257
4	Brunette Ave & Trans-Canada Hwy	Coquitlam	222
5	Lions Gate Bridge	West Vancouver	217
6	Alex Fraser Bridge	Delta	203
7	152nd St & Trans-Canada Hwy	Surrey	201
8	Gaglardi Way & Trans-Canada Hwy	Burnaby	196
9	88th Ave & King George Hwy	Surrey	185
10	Pattullo Bridge	Surrey	177

*Number of incidents reported to ICBC, to date, for crashes that occurred in 2006.

The top-10 crash locations are determined based on the number of crashes and injuries reported to ICBC, as well as the number of fatalities reported to police in 2006.

Find community-specific top-10 crash locations:
http://www.icbc.com/road_safety/crash_location/top_crash_location.asp

Link to fact sheet on high-risk driving behaviour:
http://www.icbc.com/road_safety/pdf/High-Risk_Driving_Behaviour_LP87.pdf

Media contact:
Kate Best
604-982-2480

Staff Sgt. Bob Beaudoin
RCMP Area Service Manager, Fraser Valley Traffic Services
604-819-6383

Eric Green (Fraser Valley)
(604) 240-8108

Deb Johnson (Greater Vancouver)
(604) 296-1539

Dave Dickson (North Central and Southern Interior)
(250) 392-0022

Brian Sargent (Vancouver Island)
(250) 414-7895

ICBC provides insurance tips for renting a vehicle — July 6

Things to consider before driving away in a rental vehicle this summer

Summer has arrived and if your vacation plans include renting a vehicle, it is important to do a little research before hitting the road. Things to consider are your current insurance coverage, additional coverage, where you will be travelling, and for how long. Making sure you have adequate insurance coverage before your trip begins is important to ensuring the protection of you and your family.

"Many motorists go to rent a vehicle not knowing what type of coverage they need, or might already have," said Kellee Irwin, ICBC vice-president of Underwriting. "Doing a little pre-trip planning and checking with your local Autoplan broker could save you money."

Customers who have purchased ICBC's Roadstar or RoadsidePlus coverage already have a rental vehicle policy. ICBC also sells rental vehicle insurance policies separately for a single day or up to a year.

Whether it is through the Roadstar package, RoadsidePlus package, or purchased separately, ICBC's rental vehicle coverage offers the following protection:

• Collision coverage, with a $300 deductible, for damage to a rental vehicle during a crash.
• Comprehensive coverage, with a $300 deductible, for damage such as vandalism, falling or flying objects, and impact with an animal.
• Loss of Use coverage of up to $25 per day, to a total limit of $250.
• Payment for claims made by the rental company for loss of rental income.

If there is no other insurance coverage from any other source, or the other coverage is less than the coverage provided by your ICBC vehicle rental policy, the following coverages will also take effect:

• Third Party Liability up to $1,000,000 ($2,000,000 under the RoadSide Plus package). This covers property damage or injury you cause to others while driving the rental vehicle.
• Accident benefits to people in the rented vehicle.
• Underinsured Motorist Protection, which protects you and your family in the event the at-fault driver in the crash does not have enough insurance to pay for the claim.

The ICBC rental vehicle policy can be purchased by B.C. residents or any B.C. registered company. The policy applies throughout Canada and the United States. For more information on insurance coverage for rental vehicles, talk to your local Autoplan broker or visit www.icbc.com.

When purchasing your rental vehicle coverage, it is important to list all the potential drivers on the car rental contract. Unlisted drivers are not covered by your rental coverage.

If you are involved in a crash while travelling and need to file a claim, ICBC's Dial-A-Claim service is open 24 hours a day, including holidays. In the Lower Mainland, you can call 604-520-8222; for the rest of B.C. or out-of-province, call 1-800-910-4222. Claims can also be filed online at www.icbc.com.

Media contact:
Kate Best
604-982-2480

2007 SUVs, Minivans & Pickup Trucks Rear Crash Protection Ratings — July 4

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's rear-crash protection ratings of popular 2007 SUVs, pickup trucks and minivans are now available.

Some of the 2007 SUV models tested had better occupant protection results compared with older models. While most of the minivans and pickup trucks received marginal or poor ratings, which is consistent with previous rear-impact tests.

"ICBC is reminding consumers that they should not equate price with safety," said ICBC Vehicle Safety and Research Manager John Gane. "Whiplash is the most common type of injury in motor vehicle collisions and drivers can protect themselves from whiplash by buying safer vehicles."

The head and seat designs of the 2007 SUVs, minivans and pickup trucks resulted in good ratings for 21 models, acceptable ratings for 12 models, and marginal or poor ratings for the remaining 54 models tested.

The Subaru, Volvo and new designs from Acura, Ford, Honda, and Hyundai were among the best performers in the SUV category. Three minivan models from Hyundai and Ford also earned good ratings. The redesigned Toyota Tundra was the only pickup truck rated with a good seat/head restraint for rear crash protection.

Tests were conducted on behalf of the International Insurance Whiplash Protection Group (IIWPG) at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety facilities in Virginia. Using the ICBC-developed Head Restraint Measuring Device, car seats are measured for head restraint geometry and are rated good, acceptable, marginal and poor. Seats with good or acceptable geometry are subjected to a dynamic crash test that simulates a stopped vehicle being rear-impacted by another vehicle of the same weight going 32 km per hour.

ICBC is a world leader in car safety research and along with insurers in the U.K., U.S., Australia, Germany, Sweden and Spain, is a member of the IIWPG. ICBC has been promoting better seat and head restraint design since 1993 to help reduce injuries and claims costs. ICBC has sold 180 of its patented Head Restraint Measuring Devices to auto manufacturers world-wide to help them to develop safer seats. All cars sold in the U.S. will be required to use this technology by September 2007.

Full results of these and previous tests of Canadian SUVs, minivans, pickup trucks and private passenger vehicle are at
http://www.icbc.com/library/research_papers/head_restraint/head_restraint.asp

Media contact:
John Gane
604-341-4127
604-661-6504

Kate Pasieka
604-240-7404

Copyright © 2008 ICBC - Insurance Corporation of British Columbia