With Thanksgiving just around the corner, ICBC is urging drivers to take extra care while on the road this upcoming long weekend.
According to the insurance company, the Thanksgiving long weekend is one of the most dangerous holiday periods for drivers, with an average of 2,200 crashes, nearly 700 injuries and approximately four deaths over the three-night period.
On Vancouver Island alone, ICBC estimates that 84 people are injured in 290 crashes over the long weekend.
As crisp autumn air begins to settle over Vancouver Island, ICBC is reminding drivers to be aware of changing road conditions. Some areas of the province are already blanketed in snow, while most B.C. highways, like Vancouver Island's Malahat, now require winter tires.
Besides installing winter or mud and snow tires, ICBC also recommends that drivers slow down on wet roads — enough so that they have twice the normal braking time they usually require — to watch for pedestrians as daylight is decreasing with the season and to plan routes ahead of time using DriveBC.
Meanwhile, another provincial government organization is preparing for the long weekend.
BC Ferries plans to add 93 more sailings than usual to the Thanksgiving schedule, with the majority of them being directed to the Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen route. Details about the added sailings can be found here.
