As the leaves on the trees in Northern BC start to turn yellow, it will soon be time for the ground to become white.
ICBC is reminding drivers that as we head into the cooler months, there comes some higher risks on the road.
“One of the big things that we need to remind ourselves, even though it’s pumpkin time and we get together with family is that when we’re out there, we need to make sure that we’re safe,” said ICBC North Central Road Safety Manager Doug MacDonald.
“Making sure if you’re going to be doing some travelling to family gathering, that your vehicle is prepared. Check the tires, make sure you get your winters’ on, make sure your fluids are up, check the oil, make sure you have the windshield washer fluid.”
MacDonald added that weather is unpredictable.
“We could be having a little bit warmer days like we still are, but we’re getting those cooler morning which reminds us of the fact that we’re getting a little bit closer to the snow-word.”
During the Thanksgiving Long Weekend, an average 22 people are injured in 130 crashes in the North Central Region each year. (based on ICBC data from 2017-2021)
Across all of BC, 580 people are injured and three people are killed in 1,900 crashes in the the same time frame each year.
ICBC is also reminding drivers to be safe when it comes to pedestrians, as they say pedestrian fatalities increase by an average of 54% in the province between October and January.
According to ICBC, and average of 28 pedestrians are killed and 954 are injured in crashes between October and January each year, as compared to 11 killed and 501 injured between May and August.
The North Central Region accounts for 62 pedestrians injured in 68 crashes each year.