Holiday cheer is not the only thing on the rise this season, as a new report from ICBC has shown that as traffic activity increases during the Christmas and New Year period, so do car crashes.
According to the insurer, the periods between December 24 and December 26, as well as December 31 and January 01 the following year, see a surge in car crash incidents. Based on injury and crash data from the ICBC as well as the police - from 2016 to 2020, the two periods saw an average of over 1,900 crashes occur in BC. Those crashes resulted in a five-year average of 540 injuries.
ICBC noted that this five-year crash average translates to 23 crashes per hour during the holidays.
The insurer also broke down the figure in terms of holiday and region.
ICBC said that every year during the Christmas holidays (Dec. 24 – Dec. 26) on average, two people are killed and 340 people are injured in 1,200 crashes in BC, based on statistics from 2016-2020. Per region, the Lower Mainland saw on average 260 injuries in 740 crashes during the Christmas holiday; followed by Vancouver Island with an average of one death, 29 injuries in 150 crashes; the Southern Interior with one death, 42 injuries in 170 crashes; and North Central with 15 injuries in 75 crashes.
During the New Year’s holiday (Dec. 31 – Jan. 01), BC averages one death and 200 injuries in 730 crashes over a five-year period. Per region, the Lower Mainland sees an average of 140 injuries in 480 crashes; while Vancouver Island reports 22 injuries in 84 crashes; the Southern Interior reports 22 injuries in 110 crashes; and North Central reports one death, seven injuries in 45 crashes.
ICBC has advised all motorists to follow travel alerts and restrictions during the holidays. Drivers have also been directed to check their vehicles and ensure they are winter-ready, avoid any distractions, as well as to slow down when driving on wet and icy roads. Exhausted drivers and those who have consumed alcohol as part of their holiday celebrations have been advised to take a break or select a designated driver.
In October, ICBC had released another report which found that the winter season – in general – sees a considerable spike in the number of auto collisions involving pedestrians. An average of 2,700 crashes involving pedestrians occur each year in BC, the insurer noted. Of that number, 55% of fatalities occur between October and January.
