The holiday rush can be hectic, but one provincial agency is reminding drivers that it doesn’t need to be reckless.
With National Safe Driving Week kicking off on Dec. 1, Road Safety at Work (RSAW) is highlighting the increase in driving risk around the holidays.
“Last December saw 3,244 crashes reported to ICBC on Vancouver Island,” RSAW stated in a press release.
Victoria reported the most crashes on the Island in December 2023, 654 of them in total, 24 per cent more than the runner-up city of Nanaimo.
Other Greater Victoria communities didn't escape unscathed, with 309 crashes reported last December in Saanich, 178 in Langford, 57 in Central Saanich, 56 in Sooke, 54 in Sidney, 47 in Colwood, 43 in Oak Bay, 41 in Esquimalt, 33 in View Royal and 29 in North Saanich. That equates to more than 48 crashes a day on the streets of Greater Victoria, in Decemeber 2023. Across B.C., nearly 800 crashes were reported a day in December.
While the risk may be greater, RSAW says the key to staying safe is really just to slow down. “Rushing to your destination while driving might seem like a way to save time when you’ve got a lot to do, but it greatly increases the risk of a crash," said Trace Acres, program director for Road Safety at Work.
"Slowing down and giving yourself extra time is one of the best ways to help ensure you and your loved ones travel safely this holiday season."
RSAW shared several other tips to stay safe this season; namely, avoid driving in poor conditions, leave more space between yourself and other vehicles, use winter tires if there is a little snow, keep your eyes on the road, and no phones.
“We all share the responsibility for making B.C.’s roads safer during the holiday season,” says Acres. “Our friends and family members want us home to celebrate with them.”
