Halloween, time change call for driver attention -October 29

B.C. motorists should take extra care this weekend as Halloween and the end of daylight savings make residential streets darker and busier.

Some Halloween tips for drivers:

• Slow down, especially in residential neighbourhoods and school and playground areas.
• Watch for children who may dart out into traffic from between parked cars. People may also be walking on roadways, medians and curbs.
• Be patient when kids are crossing the street. Costumes could impair their ability to get out of the way quickly.
• Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully.

With clocks ‘falling back' an hour, more drivers will be on the road in the dark. When combined with the wet weather that parts of the province typically experience at this time of the year, extra caution is required.

Here are some fall season driving tips:

• Reduced light conditions can make it more difficult to see pedestrians, cyclists and other road users. Drivers need to be especially vigilant.
• Slow down and keep your distance. It takes longer to stop on wet pavement or on pavement covered with leaves or mud.
• Use your headlights at all times to ensure you are visible to pedestrians and other vehicles.
• To avoid being blinded by the headlights of an approaching vehicle, look toward the right side of your lane until the approaching car passes.

For more information contact:
Doug McClelland (604) 982-2476
Moira Wellwood (604) 982-2480

ICBC board names new chief executive officer -September 21

T. Richard Turner, Chair of the ICBC Board of Directors, today announced the selection of Paul Taylor as the Corporation's new Chief Executive Officer. He takes up his duties on October 1st.

The selection of Mr. Taylor, currently Deputy Minister of Finance in the provincial government, follows a three-month long national search in which numerous candidates were interviewed, according to Mr. Turner. The Board was unanimous in its selection of Mr. Taylor.

“I very much look forward to this new challenge at ICBC,” says Taylor. “This is a well run company, that the previous CEO left in great shape and in the good hands of an excellent executive team and a strong workforce.”

On behalf of the Board, Mr. Turner also thanked Bill Goble for “stepping in so capably as Acting CEO over these last three months. He kept our focus on our customers and on our business, and the Corporation, its employees, and its customers benefited from a job well done.”

Paul Taylor joined the Government of British Columbia in 2001 from the BC Automobile Dealers Association where he was President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Taylor also worked as Senior Vice President, Corporate Development at TransAlta Corporation in Calgary and was a senior official in the Government of Alberta. He also oversaw the volunteer program for the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary.

For more information contact:
Doug McClelland (604) 982-2476

Roundabout opening in Surrey -September 13

Roundabout at 8th Ave aims to reduce crashes

A new roundabout is opening to traffic at 8th Ave and King George Highway in Surrey on Wednesday, Sept.15.

The Ministry of Transportation, under an agreement with Transport Canada, has funded the 8th Avenue widening project, including construction of a new single-lane roundabout. ICBC is also contributing funding to the roundabout through its road improvement program and is partnering with the Ministry of Transportation in a driver education campaign.

A roundabout is an intersection having a one-way circulation around a central island where entering traffic must yield the right-of-way to circulating traffic. While relatively new to British Columbia, roundabouts have been common in Europe and in other areas of North America for about 100 years. About 10 “modern” roundabouts have been built in BC over the past three years.

Roundabouts are designed to make intersections safer by reducing speeds and helping to prevent “Tee-bone” and head-on collisions.

As many drivers and other road users may not be familiar with using a roundabout, it's important to keep in mind the rules for its proper use.

Driving tips on how to use a Roundabout:

When entering, drivers should:

• Apply the same caution used when approaching any yield sign.
• Be prepared to stop, yield to pedestrians and wait for a sufficient gap in the circulating traffic before entering the roundabout.
• Circulate toward the desired exit.

When exiting, you should:

• Signal a right turn in advance of your exit location.
• Yield to pedestrians that may be crossing on the exit lane.

If you encounter an emergency vehicle:

• Drive with caution but do not stop inside the roundabout.
• Once you exit the roundabout, stop and allow the emergency vehicle to pass.

Pedestrians and Cyclists

At each approach to the roundabout, there is a clearly marked pedestrian crossing. Pedestrians should cross only at these designated crosswalks.

There is a shared pedestrian-cycle path connecting to the crosswalks. Cyclists can use either the shared pedestrian-cycle path or ride inside the roundabout.

For more information go to www.icbc.com/road_safety/index.asp.

For more information contact:
Doug Henderson (604) 982-1332

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