It's Time for Change

2001 – 10 dead – 1,716 injured – 7,519 involved in motor vehicle collisions

2002 – 9 dead – 1,544 injured – 8,706 involved in motor vehicle collisions

2003 – 24 dead - Injured and involved not available at this time

Each of the numbers listed above refers to the number of our youth, aged thirteen to twenty-one who have been killed, injured or involved in motor vehicle collisions on Vancouver Island , during each of those years. These are not the totals for the whole province, those numbers are much higher. These are the youths being killed and injured right here on our Island roads and highways.

These statistics are staggering. Each one represents tremendous loss, pain and suffering. These numbers represent fifty-three (53) young people dead in three years. Over 3000 injured in two years. The injuries were often severe life altering injuries like brain damage or paralysis. Most of the collisions involved high speed, alcohol, drugs, lack of seatbelts or driver inexperience. The majority were entirely preventable.

If that many of our young people were being injured by guns or by poison or by any other means the whole community would be involved in solving the problem. But these deaths and injuries are the result of motor vehicle collisions. And the automobile holds an almost sacred place in our society. In our complex world many people worship the auto, they define themselves by the car they drive, they think driving is a sport or a game, they want to drive powerful cars, and they find speed exciting and that message is being passed on to our children.

From the time they are small our children are exposed to the thrill of racing cars. It begins with their Hot Wheels. And as they grow the messages grow louder in video games, movies and music. Everywhere youth turn they receive conflicting messages, the car advertisements, the failures of our leaders – the Premier, the President of the Law Society, entertainers, sports heroes, the list goes on and on. But probably most of all they see bad driving examples every day on our roads and highways. Maybe they even see bad driving examples demonstrated by their parents. And they are learning from those examples.

If we want to change things we have to create change and we must do it loudly. We must be heard over the music, the videos, the games and the bad examples. We must bring road safety messages to both our elementary and high schools and we must bring it into our homes. Parents play a huge role in this. We must keep sending the message loudly and strongly. And we have to not only talk the talk; we have to walk it too. Adults need to step up to the plate, set a good example and lead the way. Adults need to drive responsibly, demonstrating common courtesy on the roads. They need to set the example of safe driving; they need to demonstrate respect for the traffic laws and the officers who enforce them.

Parents need to insure that their teens have had good driving instruction before they let them out on the road. They need to ensure their new driver has the skill and experience to handle the car they will be driving. Each family must create an individual plan for their teen. They need to talk to them about personal safety and personal responsibility. They need to know that the others who are driving their teens are responsible drivers. Parents need to provide their teen an alternative to driving with an impaired driver. But most of all parents have to model good driving. Each parent must recognize their role and their responsibilities in traffic safety. It is a key role.

I invite parents and teens to visit www.icbc.com where they can participate in the Driver Survivor Web Contest. This contest is sponsored by the Autoplan Brokers. There is one contest for the teens and one for parents. There are lots of great prizes and it is also an opportunity for you to share your ideas, points of view and safe driving tips on how we can reduce car crashes and save lives. And it is a great opportunity to discuss safe driving with your teens.

RRID, ICBC, the RCMP, Police Departments, the Autoplan brokers, the driving schools, the elementary and high schools and the hospitals are all doing their part to reduce the number of crash incidents involving youth on Vancouver Island . But we can’t do it alone. We need the rest of the community to join us.

For these are our children that are dying and together we can make a difference; we can create change.

What do we need to change?

• Car crashes are still the number one killer of youth.
• New drivers are 5 times more likely to be involved in car crashes
• 82 teens were killed last year in B.C.
• 36% of deaths of people aged 13 to 21 are the result of vehicle crashes
• 41,530 youth related crash incidents occurred in B.C. in 2002
• The cost to ICBC was $643,165,502.64 due to these youth related incidents in 2002
• The cost to the community is beyond measure
• Licensed drivers aged 16 to 25 represent 15% of licensed drivers but are responsible for 38% of crash-related claims

Joan Parsons

President
Rid Roads of Impaired Drivers

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