Do you want to know where the most motor vehicle crashes take place in and around your community? ICBC has compiled lists showing not only how many crashes have taken place in B.C., but where exactly they happened.
Crash statistics from ICBC show that for the five-year period from 2019 to 2023, there were a total of 201,452 crashes reported in the Southern Interior. Kelowna and Kamloops topped the list, with a total of 44,754 and 29,362 crashes respectively.
There are 318 communities and geographic areas listed in the Southern Interior. Cache Creek was 31st overall, with 856 crashes reported, while Ashcroft was 49th, with 453. Lytton was 52nd, with 397 crashes, Savona was 66th with 273, Spences Bridges was 85th with 85, Cherry Creek was in 120th spot with 82, Walhachin was in 158th with 44, and Tobiano was in 168th spot with 37 crashes.
In Ashcroft, Highway 97C was the road with the most reported crashes over the five-year period (120). It was followed by Highway 1 (90), Railway Avenue (36), Brink Street, Cornwall Road, and Elm Street (14 each), Mesa Vista Court (9), and Highland Valley Road (8).
In Cache Creek, Highway 97/Cariboo Highway saw the most crashes, with a total of 351. It was followed by Highway 1/Trans-Canada Highway (272), Loon Lake Road (21), Stage Road (12), Old Cariboo Road (11), and Quartz Road (8).
Clinton, which is in the North Central region, saw 572 crashes between 2019 and 2023, making it 18th overall out of 329 communities and geographic areas. Not surprisingly, the vast majority of reported crashes took place on Highway 97/Cariboo Highway (391), followed by Kelly Lake Road (22), Big Bar Road (15), and Jesmond Road (11).
While the totals reveal the number of crashes throughout the entire five-year period, December is consistently the busiest winter month for crashes in B.C. Last December, 24,534 crashes were reported to ICBC: an average of nearly 800 crashes per day. The total included 3,422 in the Southern Interior, which includes the Okanagan, Kamloops, and the Kootenays.
Driving too fast for the conditions is one of the major contributors to winter crashes, but there are other factors that go to make driving at this time of year more perilous. Road and weather conditions can change quickly in the Thompson-Nicola region, and fewer daylight hours mean more driving in the dark. The hectic pace of life and work can increase fatigue, which slows driver reaction time. Holiday celebrations can mean more people on the roads and can include alcohol or drugs, while phone use distracts driver attention from the road.
Road Safety at Work has some tips to help drivers keep themselves, their passengers, and all road users safe throughout the winter months:
- Avoid driving when conditions are poor, as they could get worse before they get better. Know before you go by checking www.drivebc.ca for road conditions and weather updates, and check the highway cams for the route you’ll be taking to look at road conditions in real time.
- Leave more space between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you, so you have more time to react to other drivers. This is especially important when road conditions can be slippery, slushy, or icy.
- Use winter tires even if you’re in an area with little snow. They provide better traction in cold temperatures and on slippery roads.
- Leave your phone alone.
- Make sure you’re fully rested before long drives. Fatigue can be as dangerous as impaired driving, especially on dark, icy roads or roads you might not know very well.
For more tips on safe winter driving, visit ShiftIntoWinter.ca. To take a deeper dive into crashes in the Southern Interior, go to https://bit.ly/41OZBXF; to see crash information from the North Central region, go to https://bit.ly/4iMS5mt.
