Traffic Fatals In North District On the Way Down
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 @ 1:41 PM
Prince George, B.C. – Strategies to reduce fatalities on roads in northern B.C. are paying off.
North District RCMP Inspector Eric Brewer says there were 62 deaths on roads throughout North District last year, a 32% reduction from 1996 when there had been 93 deaths, and down 12% from the 69 deaths recorded on the roads in 2010.
Inspector Brewer says the days of traffic work being simply a case of writing tickets are over, “Today we are very strategic in how we do business and members are out there doing specific functions based on the overall crash picture, They are where they need to be, when they need to be there and doing what is needed based on the causal factors identified for that specific area.”
(at right, Inspector Eric Brewer points out decline in fatals)
The stats show steady progress in reducing fatalities, with the exception of 2010. That was the year the Olympics and the G8 summit drew resources (officers) out of the region for other duties. In 2010, numbers of fatalities inched upward, it was a year of a “blip” in what was shaping up to be a downward trend for fatals and serious injury crashes.
The positive stats are being linked to three areas of focus:
- Seat belt use: “Seat belt enforcement and changing driver behaviour have contributed greatly in reducing our death and injury rates” says Inspector Brewer
- Alcohol: Inspector Brewer says with the introduction of the Immediate Roadside Prohibition in 2010, the North saw nearly a 60% decline in road deaths where alcohol was a factor. He suspects the IRP gave immediate consequences for actions unlike going to court where it could be a couple of years between the actual infraction and the court decision, causing what Inspector Brewer refers to as a disconnect between the actions and the consequences. What is unfortunate, is that while people are shying away from driving under the influence of alcohol, that hasn’t stopped those who are drugs. He says the scales are now tipping heavily toward “drug impaired” drivers as 12 cases were identified in just two weeks.
- Aggressive drivers: Inspector Brewer says the RCMP’s aircraft will be in the air this spring to identify aggressive drivers in conjunction with the road crews who will be targeting speeders.
Inspector Brewer says the positive news isn’t just a result of the work of the Traffic Services. He says improvements to roads and highways, improved vehicle safety design, Electronic Stability Control, rumble strips, new legislation and continued support of partner groups such as ICBC, WorkSafe BC, CVSE, the media, and the public. “The public can share in these successes” says Inspector Brewer “as it is their change in behaviour and attitudes that can do the most to reduce death and injury on our roadways.”
Comments
Does anyone know the fatality statistics between PG and Vanderhoof annually over the last 5 years? It seems consistantly off the charts to me.
Totally misleading to say traffic deaths are down 39% since 1996. Cleary it shows an up and down trend from year to year. 2000 being by far the year with the least. I guess thier strategy didn’t work so good between 2000 and 2002 since there was a huge climb.
Until we see numbers of cars on road, amount of kilometers travelled, weather etc and those are factored into these statistics the numbers mean nothing.
But look good on paper I guess.
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