BY HARVEY KOONER
ICBC Road Safety Coordinator
YOU may have noticed the new pedestrian countdown timers, sidewalks and protected left turn signals in Surrey. These are some of the 46 road improvement projects ICBC invested over $1 million in last year to make Surrey roads safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.
Have you noticed an intersection or road in your area that could really benefit from a safety improvement? If so, we’d love to hear from you. You can make your suggestion through icbc.com or contact your local municipality.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of ICBC’s road improvement program with over $130 million invested in B.C. roads since 1990.
Our engineers review studies, crash data and other information to decide which projects to invest in based on their ability to make roads safer.
We also look at ways to prevent crashes from happening in the first place by making sure safety issues are part of planning for new roadways and managing traffic. We also consult with road safety experts on new ways to prevent crashes. Some of the new technology we’ve tested and is now in place in B.C. includes anti-skid road surface treatments, high-intensity signs and larger, more visible traffic signals.
While road improvements are an important part of road safety, the majority of crashes are preventable and have more to do with errors made by road users than road engineering. As drivers, pedestrians and cyclists, we all need to do our part by making smart driving decisions to help prevent crashes.
