DriveSmartBC - Merry Christmas
 

If I could give all of you one gift this Christmas it would be a year's worth of safe driving. For those of us here in British Columbia that would mean more than one driver a day would not die, 81 people would not be injured and 69 property damage collisions would not occur. Imagine that.

For those of you who think that they have not been affected by a collision in the past year, consider about 80 percent of what you paid to ICBC to insure your vehicle. This is the amount in your premium that ICBC used to pay for death, injury and damage. Wouldn't an 80 percent reduction in vehicle insurance be a nice gift also?

If I could wish for one gift in return it would be that everyone take a moment and consider that they are not the only driver on the highway. Grant courtesy to other drivers, even when they don't deserve it. If we were as courteous to other drivers as we are when face to face, I dare say that many of the situations that we find ourselves in while driving would not occur.

Thank you to all that publish and read this column and take the time to respond to it with comments both positive and negative. You provide the ideas and incentive that keeps me writing and learning. Please have a happy and safe holiday season.

Thanks, skid!

In lieu of a year's safe driving, please feel free to simply send me the $1280 (80% of my ~$1600 annual insurance). Thanks.

I drive the way I would expect others to drive... but when they don't, I report them to the police. Pretty simple, actually.. whether it does anything, I don't know.. but I feel better having done something about it instead of just getting pissed off. Or worse, trying to get even.

Now.. If there was a way for me to be JUST a traffic cop... I'd consider a career in it. But I don't want to have to deal with the other crap you guys have to every day... I thank you for doing what you do out there, but it just isn't for me ;)

I'm sorry to say that this year, part of that 80% is used to fix my door which was reversed into by some blind man driving a suv :(

Since there's not much snow this year, I hope there won't be as much accidents as last year. Drive safe people! And oh, Merry Christmas~

ill take a cheque for 1440$ too (1800$ a year insurance :P)

I see so much bad driving out there too... and the worst part? i want to do something about it, but im already doing everything i can (getting out of thier way, applying for RCMP, working at the CPO and recording and report aggresive drivers)

We have a death and 81 injuries per day BC roads?

What was the daily death/injury target set by the Road Safety Vision 2010 thing and are we on our way to meeting that?