Each year, approximately 280 people are killed on B.C. roads and another 79,000 are injured.
These statistics have been revealed through a new report released by the BC Ministry of Health examining road safety in British Columbia. “Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Reducing the Impact of Motor Vehicle Crashes on Health and Well-being in BC” puts B.C. driving under the microscope, revealing staggering statistics and offering recommendations to reduce crashes.
While the report finds that the number of fatalities has decreased since 1996, the province said they could still achieve lower rates.
Photo Credit: Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Reducing the Impact of Motor Vehicle Crashes on Health and Well-Being in BC
Police across B.C. found that speed, impairment and distraction were the top contributing factors to motor vehicle crashes (MVC) that resulted in deaths between 2008 and 2012. In the year 2012, speed was associated with 35.7 per cent of motor vehicle fatalities, with males being more likely to die in speed related crashes than women.
“Research shows that males tend to drive more aggressively than females, are more likely than females to engage in a variety of high-risk road user behaviours (e.g., speeding, impaired driving), and also tend to drive more kilometres,” the report reads.
“Therefore, males are at greater risk of motor vehicle fatalities and serious injuries.”
Despite distracted driving laws becoming increasingly strict, distraction related fatalities continue to rise. The report found that in 2011, distraction surpassed impairment, making it the second highest factor that lead to death on B.C. roads.
Drivers may finally be getting the message about the dangers of drinking and driving, with the report finding that the number of impairment-related collisions has gone down. Men were found to have double the impaired-related MVC’s in every age group, with the highest impaired crashes being recorded in the 16-25 age group.
Photo Credit: Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Reducing the Impact of Motor Vehicle Crashes on Health and Well-Being in BC
In the B.C. Interior, 42.5 per cent of crashes were related to speed, while 39.4 per cent were caused by distraction.
A total of 28 recommendations were outlined in the report, identifying specific actions the government can take to improve road safety and reduce the number of deaths that occur on the roads.
In relation to speed, the report recommends the provincial government “set speed limits throughout the province based on roadway type, with consideration of the most vulnerable road users who frequent each type of roadway and the associated survivable speed for those road users during a motor vehicle crash.”
The report also recommended that penalties and legal consequences for driver distraction be comparable with penalties with alcohol-impaired driving.
“Road safety in BC is a critical health issue,” the report concludes.
“There have been many successes in the last few decades, including advancement in vehicle design, roadway design and road user behaviour. However, preventable MVC fatalities and serious injuries still occur in B.C. and the overall decline has not kept pace with other jurisdictions.”
Photo Credit: Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Reducing the Impact of Motor Vehicle Crashes on Health and Well-Being in BC
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Perry Kendal said any preventable death or serious injury is unacceptable and hopes the recommendations will encourage further changes and positive steps to making B.C. roads safer.
