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In British Columbia, six people are injured every hour from car crashes over the holidays, according to figures from the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia. The figure covers Christmas Eve to Boxing Day.
“With many people travelling to spend the holidays with family and friends, drivers should be prepared for the varied winter road conditions they’ll encounter,” said Lindsay Matthews, ICBC’s director responsible for road safety. “We’re asking drivers to also consider their own behaviour on our busy roads by driving smart. If we want everyone to arrive safely – we need to start with our own driving.”
The Lower Mainland region suffers from the most injuries, with 250 people injured in 780 crashes:
| Injuries | Crashes | |
| Lower Mainland | 250 | 780 |
| Vancouver Island | 40 | 150 |
| Southern Interior | 40 | 170 |
| North Central | 40 | 150 |
In light of the figures, ICBC has issued travel advisories to B.C. drivers. It recommends they have the right tires for specific road conditions. Many B.C. highways require winter tires, labelled with either the mountain/snowflake symbol or the mud and snow (M+S) designation.
“You’re five times more likely to crash if you’re using your handheld phone. To combat this, make important calls and look up trip routes before you get in your car and then place your phone out of reach,” it added.
