ICBC survey reveals top challenges for road trippers ahead of B.C. Day long weekend

August 03, 2023

As we approach the B.C. Day long weekend, ICBC encourages drivers to be prepared for busy roads, stay focused, and leave plenty of travel time.

A new ICBC survey* reveals that 95% of respondents with plans for summer road trips anticipate taking four road trips this summer of 100 km or more. Over one-third (36%) of these road trippers expect to drive longer distance in total than last summer. The top challenges road trippers stated that they faced while driving during past summer road trips included slower moving vehicles like RVs (57%), distracted drivers (54%) and speeding drivers (48%).

Over the B.C. Day long weekend, on average, two people are killed and 562 injured in 2,064 crashes in B.C.** Distracted driving, impaired driving and failing to yield the right of way are the top contributing factors in these crashes.

Tips for road trip challenges:

1.  Plan your route and check road conditions at drivebc.ca. If you'll be travelling at peak times, expect travel to take longer than usual. Do a pre-trip check to make your vehicle is in good working condition before you head out and pack an emergency kit in your vehicle in case you get stuck or stranded.

2.  Distracted driving is the top contributing factor in B.C. Day long weekend crashes. Stay focused on the road and leave your phone alone. Use caution and keep your distance as much as possible when travelling near drivers who appear distracted.

3.  If you're road tripping, be patient with slow-moving vehicles like RVs and those towing trailers or boats. If they're travelling below the speed limit in mountainous areas, they're likely going uphill as fast as they can. If you're driving an RV or towing weight and holding up drivers behind you, be courteous and pull over when it's safe to do so to let others by. This is much safer than a driver making an unsafe pass out of frustration.

4.  If you're driving on a freeway with more than two lanes in each direction, drive in the centre or right-hand lane to keep the left lane for higher-speed traffic and passing vehicles. Allow at least two seconds of following distance in good weather and conditions, and at least three seconds on high-speed roads. Increase your following distance when you're following a large vehicle such as an RV (it can block your vision) or a motorcycle (it can stop faster than a car).

5.  With warm weather comes more motorcyclists, pedestrians, and cyclists on our roads. Reduce your speed, increase your following distance and watch for vulnerable road users.

 Additional survey results:

• Rising costs is a top consideration, for panel respondents who are planning to travel this summer (67%). This is followed by the amount of time they are able to take away from work or other personal obligations (44%), and the availability of transportation and/or accommodation (44%). The probability of extreme weather events at home and/or at the destination is the next most often cited consideration (41%).

• Amongst those who mention rising costs as a top consideration, approximately half indicate selecting more affordable accommodations or destinations (52%), or taking fewer trips (48%) as adjustments they would make to their summer vacation travel plans.

• Other notable strategies mentioned include travelling a shorter distance (41%), travelling for fewer days (40%), or engaging in cheaper activities (40%). 

Regional crash statistics:

• Over the B.C. Day long weekend, on average, 387 people are injured in 1,235 crashes in the Lower Mainland every year.**

• Over the B.C. Day long weekend, on average, 67 people are injured in 306 crashes on Vancouver Island every year.**

• Over the B.C. Day long weekend, on average, 78 people are injured in 352 crashes in the Southern Interior every year.**

• Over the B.C. Day long weekend, on average, on average, 24 people are injured in 130 crashes in northern B.C. every year.**

*Survey conducted with the ICBC insight panel. Total respondents = 2,103. Respondents with definite plans for road trips this summer = 960. Data collected from June 13 to 25, 2023.

**B.C. Day is calculated from 00:00 to midnight and includes incidents where the time was not reported. Based on five year average. Injured victim and crash data from ICBC data (2018 to 2022) and fatal victims from police data (2017 to 2021).