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Distracted driving includes any activity that impacts your ability to focus on the road while in control of a vehicle


ICBC (09/04/19): Distracted driving is responsible for more than one in four fatal crashes on BC roads, which is why ICBC, police and government continue to combat this dangerous driving behaviour that claims 77 lives each year.

Crashes reached a record high in 2017, with many of these caused by distracted or inattentive driving. While cellphone usage rightly gets a lot of the attention, distracted driving includes any activity that impacts your ability to focus on the road while in control of a vehicle.


ICBC's Techpilot project needs drivers to explore how technology can make driving safer. Complete various driving challenges to increase your chance at up to $250 in gift card rewards. The safer your driving, the more rewards you can earn.
Qualifications include ... holding a valid class 7N or class 5 B.C. driver’s licence ...  less than four years of driving experience, excluding any time spent licensed as a Learner driver ... drive the vehicle a minimum of 1,000 kilometers over the one-year duration of the pilot ... and have a smartphone with a data plan

The BC government, police and ICBC conduct two distracted driving education and enhanced enforcement campaigns every year. The campaigns also include advertising and social media support.

All through this month, drivers will be hearing one message – take a break from your phone when you're behind the wheel. Research shows that taking your eyes off the road for as little as two seconds is strongly correlated with crashing.

Enhanced police enforcement of distracted driving will take place across BC, including a province-wide blitz on Friday September 6th, and community volunteers are setting up Cell Watch deployments to remind drivers to leave their phone alone when driving.


ICBC Techpilot project ... can telematics technology help make B.C. roads safer while improving driver behaviour? Techpilot aims to answer this question, with some help from newer drivers.

Drivers can do their part by avoiding distractions while driving and encouraging others to do the same.

Activate Apple's Do Not Disturb While Driving feature or what's similarly available on other devices.

Free 'not while driving' decals are available at ICBC driver licensing offices and participating Autoplan broker offices for drivers to support the campaign and encourage other road users to leave their phones alone.

As part of the commitment to make roads safer, ICBC is currently inviting eligible drivers to participate in a telematics pilot project. The goal is to determine whether using this technology can improve road safety and driving behaviour for inexperienced drivers in B.C.


View tips and statistics in an infographic at icbc.com
Register for the pilot project at icbc.com/techpilot.

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