November 2006 Regional News Releases
Police and ICBC offer winter driving tips for travel along Sea-to-Sky corridor — November 22
ICBC fraud tips line helps to catch a Salmon Arm fraudster — November 22
Powell River wins big in Zero Crash Month — November 16
Police urge pedestrians to take safety precautions — November 9
Maple Ridge man guilty of attempting to defraud ICBC — November 7
Prince George resident gets jail time for attempting to defraud ICBC — November 7
ICBC urges road users to "Listen to your RoadSense" — November 2
Darker and wet days pose a hazard to pedestrians — November 1
Police and ICBC offer winter driving tips for travel along Sea-to-Sky corridor — November 22
Winter tires recommended for snowy and icy conditions
The ski season is here. Your skis are waxed, but is your car ready for the snow? The police, Sea-to-Sky committee, and ICBC want to remind drivers heading up to the mountains to be safe and prepared for hazardous winter weather, especially along the Sea-to-Sky corridor.
"The five municipalities bordering the Sea-to-Sky highway - West Vancouver, Lions Bay, Squamish, Pemberton and Whistler - want to ensure drivers use safety precautions while driving on the highway this winter," said Dr. Ian Morgan, founding member of the Sea-to-Sky committee, formed in 1986 to address safety issues and reduce harm on the highway.
Drivers are reminded to install four official winter tires on their vehicles. Official winter tires are marked with the symbol of a snowflake superimposed over a mountain. Compared to all-seasons tires, winter tires provide better traction and handling through snow, slush, and on ice and provide greater control and stability.
In an event of a road check, police may ask drivers with improper, worn or damaged tires to turn back as this can hamper your ability to drive safely.
Motorists are also reminded to slow down in hazardous weather conditions. "Drivers should adjust their driving behaviour if it’s snowing or raining. The posted speed limit on the highway is set for ideal road conditions," said Cpl. Scott Bowden with the RCMP’s Sea-to-Sky traffic services. "For their own safety, drivers should slow down and leave a safe distance between them and the vehicle ahead," continued Bowden.
Drivers should also avoid using cruise control on slippery roads as snow, ice, slush or rain can cause wheel spin and loss of control. Those who have cars with automatic transmissions should avoid using overdrive as this can result in an unexpected gear shift, causing the wheels to lose traction.
Sgt. Calvin Shamper with the West Vancouver police reminds drivers to check weather and travel conditions before heading out. "Don't take chances if the weather is bad. Allow yourself extra time for travel, or wait until conditions improve," said Shamper.
To check current weather conditions, contact Drive BC at 1-877-4SAFE99. Visit www.icbc.com for more winter driving tips.
For more information contact:
Tom Webster
604-230-1964
ICBC fraud tips line helps to catch a Salmon Arm fraudster — November 22
ICBC has a zero tolerance for fraud
Ronald Keith Williams of Salmon Arm is facing the consequences of driving drunk, and lying to ICBC. Recently, Williams attended Salmon Arm Provincial Court and pled guilty to supplying false or misleading information to ICBC, an offence under the Insurance Motor Vehicle Act. He was fined $2,000 and ordered to repay $35,586, the cost to repair his vehicle and investigate the fraudulent claim.
"ICBC's zero tolerance for fraud is one of our strategies to help keep rates low and stable," said Mark Withenshaw, ICBC vice president of loss management. "It is not acceptable to ICBC to sit back and simply pass the cost of fraud onto our customers. We seek to identify potential fraud before the claim is paid, but also pursues fraudulent claims through civil lawsuits and criminal prosecutions," said Withenshaw.
It is alleged that on May 6, 2005, Williams was travelling along Head of the Lake Road in Vernon when he lost control of his 2003 Ford F150 pickup and crashed into the Okanagan Indian Band building. It is also alleged that prior to the crash, Williams had been drinking.
When reporting the claim, Williams acknowledged that he had been drinking that night, but stated his sister was driving at the time of the crash. On August 22, 2005, ICBC's fraud tips-line received an anonymous call. The caller identified Williams as the driver at the time of the crash.
ICBC re-opened the claim, furthered the investigation and uncovered the truth. Williams had convinced his sister to take responsibility for the crash because he had been drinking.
The public is encouraged to help fight fraud by reporting suspicious, exaggerated or fraudulent claims. Information provided to ICBC's fraud tips line (604-661-6844 or 1-800-661-6844) is confidential and callers can remain anonymous.
Powell River wins big in Zero Crash Month — November 16
Everybody wins when we reduce crashes
ICBC is pleased to announce this year's Zero Crash Month community winners are Delta, Powell River, Hope, the Village of Queen Charlotte, Silverton and New Aiyansh.
ICBC, the provincial government and local police designated October as Zero Crash Month to raise awareness of the impact crashes have on people, families and communities, and as a challenge to make a difference.
"Car crashes are a major problem affecting all British Columbians, and this government is committed to making improvements in road safety," said the Honourable John Les, Solicitor General and Minister of Public Safety. "I am proud of the communities and individuals who participated in Zero Crash Month, because we are all winners when we reduce crashes," said Les.
In total, over 54,000 British Columbians made a personal pledge to road safety in October, 172 communities signed up for the Zero Crash Month community challenge and 94 businesses joined the corporate challenge.
The community winners in each category are:
| Community | Population | Road safety grant |
Percentage reduction |
| Delta | over 40,000 | $35,000 | 28% |
| Powell River | 10,001 to 40,000 | $25,000 | 31% |
| Hope | 5,001 to 10,000 | $18,000 | 51% |
| The Village of Queen Charlotte | 1,501 to 5,000 | $10,000 | 49% |
| New Aiyansh (Tie) | 1,500 or less | $ 2,500 | 100% |
| Silverton (Tie) | 1,500 or less | $ 2,500 | 100% |
The individual prize winners are:
- Ian Black, from Powell River, won this year's grand prize of a brand new, fully loaded all-wheel drive Pontiac TorrentTM with a 5-Star Crash Test Rating, valued at approximately $40,000, courtesy of the Pontiac Dealers of BC.
- Willi Schmidt, from Terrace, won a seven-day trip for two to Cancun, Mexico, including accommodation at the all-inclusive Club Med and air travel, valued at approximately $10,000, courtesy of Renshaw's Travel and Cruise Concepts and Club Med.
- While Diana Van der Woerd, from Houston; Ellie Jones, from Nanaimo; Kam Ming Tun, from Vancouver; and Signe Miller, from Creston, each won a set of brand new tires up to $1,000 in value, courtesy of GM Goodwrench Service.
The corporate challenge winners are:
- The Township of Langley, BC Hydro - G.M. Shrum Generating Station (Peace River), the City of Vernon, and Unisource Canada Inc. (New Westminster), each won a catered coffee break for their employees.
At the outset of the campaign, ICBC predicted that 22,000 crashes would take place this October, based on a five year average. Early results show approximately a 10 per cent decrease in crashes, however as motorists continue to report claims to ICBC, the number of crashes reported for the month of October will increase.
"While education programs such as Zero Crash Month can have an effect in the long term, they are only one component of our overall strategy to improve driver behaviour," said Paul Taylor, ICBC president and CEO. "Rising claims costs are still a major concern for ICBC. We will continue to work with police and other stakeholders to develop strategies targeting aggressive drivers. Our goal remains to reduce crashes, injuries, and deaths, which help to keep rates low and stable" said Taylor.
For more details on the Zero Crash Month results, including community crash results and the number of pledges recorded in each community visit www.icbc.com.
For more information contact:
Eric Green (Fraser Valley)
604-240-8108
Kim Thé (Lower Mainland)
604-833-3586
Nina Moroso (Vancouver Island)
250-888-9278
Ryan Detwiller (Southern Interior)
250-979-4612
Alyson Gourley-Cramer(North Central)
250-961-9299
Police urge pedestrians to take safety precautions — November 9
Police, community volunteers, Autoplan Brokers and ICBC conducted a joint Pedestrian Safety initiative today in the Lower Mainland, offering safety tips to reduce the number of pedestrian-related collisions on Lower Mainland roads.
Today’s initiative is part of a month-long campaign sponsored by Lower Mainland Autoplan brokers. At busy pedestrian locations throughout the Lower Mainland, police and volunteers offered safety tips and distributed highly reflective pedestrian reflectors to help make pedestrians safer and more visible.
Current ICBC crash data indicates that there were over 190 pedestrian-related collisions last November in the Lower Mainland. November typically sees a significant increase in the number of pedestrian-related collisions, due in part to the darker, wetter weather conditions.
The campaign reminds pedestrians to dress ‘to be seen’ by wearing brightly coloured clothing or reflective items, particularly at night. Pedestrians should always cross at intersections and designated crosswalks. It is also crucial for pedestrians to make eye contact with drivers before stepping off the curb. Even in marked crosswalks, motorists may not see pedestrians due to darkness, bad weather or other distractions.
“Even when pedestrians have the right of way, it is important that they make eye contact with motorists, to ensure that drivers see them and are prepared to stop,” says Peter Bola of Silverwing Insurance, on behalf of the Autoplan Brokers. “It’s a simple tip that can greatly improve a pedestrian’s safety.”
The Autoplan brokers are sponsoring advertising which provides tips to pedestrians and ICBC is running an ad campaign aimed at motorists, reminding them to watch for pedestrians. The ads are running throughout November in newspapers, transit and on television.
Safety Tips for Pedestrians
- Make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street, so you know they see you and they know you see them.
- Use designated crossing points and obey pedestrian traffic signs.
- Always be cautious and pay attention to traffic, as drivers may sometimes disobey traffic signals or not stop.
- Look left, right and left again before stepping off the curb.
- Wear bright-colored clothing or carry reflective articles, especially when walking at night.
Safety Tips for Drivers
- Always yield to pedestrians.
- Beware of pedestrians who appear indecisive or inattentive.
- Be alert to vehicles stopped in the lane next to yours. They may be yielding for a pedestrian.
- Beware of pedestrians still attempting to cross the street on a flashing orange pedestrian signal.
- Watch out for pedestrians when backing up your vehicle.
- Always be alert for pedestrians, especially at intersections.
Note to Editors – Footage and still images available: We have couriered TV media a broadcast-quality DVD of the staged pedestrian collision. If you have not received a copy, please contact Eric Green at 604-240-8108 or eric.green@icbc.com. Still shots are also available for print media upon request. The audio of the external car shots has been modified.
Karon Trenaman
604-309-7449
Tom Webster
604-230-1964
Maple Ridge man guilty of attempting to defraud ICBC — November 7
ICBC has a zero tolerance for fraud
John Thomas Christian of Maple Ridge is facing the consequences of fleeing the scene of a crash and lying to ICBC. On September 13, 2006 , in Port Coquitlam Provincial Court , Christian pled guilty to supplying false or misleading information to ICBC, an offence under the Insurance Motor Vehicle Act. He was fined $500 and ordered to repay $7,142.21, the cost to repair the vehicle involved in the crash and the cost to investigate the fraudulent claim.
"ICBC has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to fraud," said Mark Withenshaw, ICBC vice president of loss management. "ICBC seeks to identify potential frauds before the claim is paid, but also pursues fraudulent claims through civil lawsuits and criminal prosecutions," said Withenshaw.
On March 25, 2005 , Christian took the keys for his father's company vehicle, a 2002 Hyundai Elantra, in spite of the fact that his father had forbidden him to drive it. Shortly after midnight , Christian lost control of the vehicle, crashing it into a cement barrier. A nearby resident heard the crash and called police, however Christian fled the scene.
Christian later admitted to his father that he had taken the vehicle, but claimed it was then stolen while he was at a local convenience store. Christian told the same story when interviewed by ICBC and police. However, a joint investigation by ICBC and the Maple Ridge RCMP uncovered the truth.
ICBC is concerned about rising claims costs, and aggressively combats fraud to recover fraudulent payments to help keep rates low and stable. The public can help fight fraud by reporting suspicious, exaggerated or fraudulent claims. Information provided to ICBC's fraud tips line (604-661-6844 or 1-800-661-6844) is confidential and callers can remain anonymous.
Prince George resident gets jail time for attempting to defraud ICBC — November 7
ICBC has a zero tolerance for fraud
On August 8, 2006 , James Richard Byrne of Prince George was sentenced to four months in jail as a result of being charged with fraud under the Criminal Code of Canada. Nedra Lee Prisk, also of Prince George , was sentenced on August 16, 2006 to a three month conditional sentence with one year probation for her involvement in the scheme to defraud ICBC. Prisk was also ordered and has repaid ICBC $26,360, the cost to repair the vehicle and to investigate the fraudulent claim.
"ICBC has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to fraud," said Mark Withenshaw, ICBC vice president of loss management. "We will not sit back and simply pass the cost of fraud onto our customers," said Withenshaw.
On August 20, 2004 , Byrne was driving a 2002 Ford Explorer down a logging road north-west of Mackenzie, when he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree. At the time of the crash, Byrne did not have a valid driver's licence and the vehicle he was driving belonged to his common-law wife, Prisk.
When interviewed by ICBC, Byrne and Prisk lied about who was driving at the time of the crash. Both claimed that Prisk had driven from Prince George to the logging camp to pick up Byrne, and on their way home, they collided with a moose. Bryne also claimed he suffered serious injuries to his shoulder and back, as a result of the crash.
A joint investigation by ICBC, and RCMP from Prince George, Terrace and Prince Rupert uncovered evidence that proved that Byrne was the sole occupant in the vehicle at the time of the crash and he did not have a valid driver's licence.
ICBC is concerned about rising claims costs, and aggressively combats fraud to recover fraudulent payments which helps to keep rates low and stable. The public can help fight fraud by reporting suspicious, exaggerated or fraudulent claims. Information provided to ICBC's fraud tips line (604-661-6844 or 1-800-661-6844) is confidential and callers can remain anonymous.
ICBC urges road users to "Listen to your RoadSense" — November 2
Behaviour adjustments required for winter conditions
Shorter days and wetter, darker roads mean all road users need to adjust their behaviour and habits in order to stay safe this winter.
Motorists need to slow down and leave more room between vehicles as stopping distance and reaction time will increase because of wet or slick roads, and poorer visibility. Cyclists and pedestrians should be wearing bright, reflective clothing at all times to ensure they are being seen by others.
Last year in B.C., there were 60 pedestrians killed and about 2,200 crashes involving a pedestrian reported. On Vancouver Island alone, there were almost 300 pedestrian-related incidents.
Bad weather was a factor in approximately 3,400 crashes in the province in 2005. These crashes resulted in 31 fatalities on B.C. roads, including 7 on Vancouver Island .
"Now that we are seeing less daylight and worse weather, we are urging drivers, pedestrians and cyclists to do what they can in order to stay safe on our roads," says ICBC Road Safety Coordinator Donna Stennes. "Whether that means giving yourself extra time to get where you're going on foggy or rainy days, or putting on reflective gear to walk your dog or head out on your bike, the important thing is to listen to your RoadSense and arrive at your destination safely."
During the month of November, and while supplies last, ICBC locations on Vancouver Island and in Powell River will be giving away reflective bands. The bands can be worn on wrists or ankles, attached to backpacks or bikes, and even placed on dog collars to improve visibility.
The public is urged to visit the reception desk at their local Drivers Services Centre or Claim Centre to pick up one of the reflective bands. For a list of ICBC locations go to www.icbc.com
Tips for Pedestrians
- Make eye contact with drivers, so you know they see you and they know you see them.
- Always use designated crossing points and obey pedestrian traffic signs and signals.
- Walk facing traffic, especially where there are no sidewalks.
- Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully.
- Incorporate reflective materials on jackets and backpacks.
Tips for Drivers
- Always yield to pedestrians.
- Use your headlights at all times to ensure you are visible to pedestrians and other vehicles.
- Slow down and keep extra distance between your vehicle and the one in front. It takes longer to stop on wet or slippery roads.
Donna Stennes
250-729-3545
Darker and wet days pose a hazard to pedestrians — November 1
Autoplan broker campaign urges pedestrians to make eye contact with drivers
November is one of the most dangerous months for pedestrians. The darker, wet days create difficult driving conditions, making it harder for drivers to see pedestrians.
Current police reports indicate that in 2005, 60 pedestrians were killed and 2,300 pedestrians were injured in crashes on B.C. roads. That same year in the Lower Mainland, police reported nearly 1,700 injuries and 39 fatalities in pedestrian-related crashes.
To raise awareness about pedestrian safety, the Autoplan brokers have launched an awareness campaign reminding pedestrians to make eye contact before crossing the street. Advertisements will run throughout November in newspapers, transit and on the radio.
The campaign also reminds pedestrians to dress to be seen by wearing bright coloured clothing or reflective items, especially at night. To demonstrate the importance of wearing bright and reflective clothing, the Autoplan brokers have produced a short video featuring an "invisibly dressed" pedestrian dummy that is struck by a car travelling at 50 km/h and 70 km/h at night. The video can be viewed online at www.roadsafety.ca or www.icbc.com.
In an average year, pedestrian incidents account for approximately one per cent of all crashes, but roughly 14 per cent of all fatalities. Police attribute pedestrian error or confusion as the leading contributing factor by pedestrians in pedestrian-involved collisions. While the leading causes of driver error in a pedestrian incident are failing to yield the right of way when turning and driver inattention.
Pedestrians should always cross at intersections or marked crosswalks, and remember to make eye contact with drivers before stepping off the curb. "Even at a marked crosswalk, motorists may not see a pedestrian due to darkness, bad weather or distractions," said Colin Hunt of the Vancouver General Insurance Agency. "Making eye contact with drivers before crossing ensures that drivers are prepared to give the pedestrian the right of way."
"Pedestrians often don't think about the serious consequences of being involved in a collision. Because of the weight and speed of vehicles, even a slow speed pedestrian collision can cause severe harm to pedestrians," said Sgt. Daffydd Hermann of the Abbotsford Police Department, who also instructs collision investigation at the Justice Institute of B.C . "That's why it is so important for pedestrians to make eye contact and be visible by wearing reflective clothing."
Throughout November, Autoplan brokers, ICBC, police and community volunteers will be partnering in local pedestrian safety activities to educate road users and ticket offenders who disobey traffic laws.
To find out more about the pedestrian awareness campaign and how brokers in your community are doing their part to improve safety for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists, talk to your local Autoplan broker or visit www.roadsafety.ca.
Safety Tips for Pedestrians
- Make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street to ensure you are seen.
- Use designated crossing points and obey pedestrian traffic signs.
- Wear bright-colored clothing or carry reflective articles, especially when walking at night.
- Always be cautious and pay attention to traffic, as drivers may sometimes disobey traffic signals or not stop.
- Look left, right and left again before stepping off the curb.
Safety Tips for Drivers
- Always yield to pedestrians.
- Beware of pedestrians who appear indecisive or inattentive.
- Be alert to vehicles stopped in the lane next to yours. They may be yielding for a pedestrian.
- Beware of pedestrians still attempting to cross the street on a flashing orange pedestrian signal.
- Watch out for pedestrians when backing up your vehicle.
- Always be alert for pedestrians, especially at intersections.
Note to Editors: We have couriered TV media a broadcast-quality DVD of the staged pedestrian collision. If you have not received a copy, please contact Eric Green at 604-240-8108 or eric.green@icbc.com. Still shots are also available for print media upon request.
The audio of the external car shots has been modified.
Karon Trenaman
604-309-7449
Tom Webster
604-230-1964
