INCREASED CAR ACCIDENT COSTS AND RATES CONCERNING FOR ICBC

According to recent statistics from ICBC, car accident rates in British Columbia are at an all time high. The numbers have prompted the release of an online tool, the Drive Smart Refresher Test, aimed at helping people refresh their knowledge of car safety and avoid a car accident themselves. This free quiz highlights the bad driving habits and potentially outdated knowledge, an issue ICBC points to when discussing the increase of collisions in British Columbia.

Currently, ICBC is facing a $1.3 billion financial loss. Some say loss is due to a surge in car accident claims with increasingly expensive price tags. In 2017, 350,000 crashes let to claims totalling $4.8 billion. Broken down, that is 960 crashes and $13 million per day in 2017.

With 3.25 million insurance vehicles on the road in British Columbia, keeping up with the expenses has been impossible for ICBC. They are taking steps to reduce car accident numbers, conducting a road safety campaign across the province. According to a survey taken during the campaign, 75 percent of B.C. rivers say they had displayed bad driving habits on the road.

According to ICBC, 57 percent of people passed their road safety knowledge test. This contrasts with the 88 percent of people who reported thinking they would pass a written driver’s test. ICBC notes that once a person passes the Graduated Licensing Program in province, keeping up the standard is their responsibility. Those who have been in a car accident in British Columbia and need legal support in filing an ICBC claim should work with a lawyer in the province.