Vancouver, British Columbia — With the streets soon to be flooded with trick-or-treaters, ICBC is reminding drivers to keep an eye out for tiny ghouls roaming the roadways as we enter a seasonal uptick of pedestrian-involved crashes.
According to the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, nearly half of all pedestrian fatalities occur between October and January as the weather changes and daylight hours decrease.*
ICBC is asking drivers to take an extra second at intersections and crosswalks to scan for pedestrians, yield when appropriate, and as always, avoid distractions like cell phones.
They also recommend that pedestrians attempt to make eye contact with drivers before they cross and always check for turning vehicles.
ICBC and community policing volunteers will be handing out reflectors and safety tips in high pedestrian traffic areas across the province to help pedestrians stay visible.
“We’re urging both pedestrians and drivers to do their part to keep our roads safe as daylight hours decrease and weather conditions change. Crashes involving pedestrians are highest between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. every day when many of us are commuting home. It’s important for drivers to leave their phone alone and for pedestrians to stay focused on what’s going on around them,” said Lindsay Matthews, ICBC’s v-p of public affairs and driver licensing.
According to ICBC’s data, one in five people killed in car crashes in B.C. are pedestrians.
*In B.C., an average of 52 pedestrians are killed and 2,400 injured in 2,700 crashes every year. More than half (roughly 55 percent) of fatalities occur between October and January. An average of 1,080 pedestrians are injured in crashes between October and January compared to 570 pedestrians who are injured between May and August. ICBC data is based on a five-year average from 2016 to 2020.
