Newsroom
ICBC: Road safety speakers talking to northern B.C. teens ahead of grad season
April 17, 2023
Novice drivers in B.C.'s graduated licensing program are 1.5 times more likely to crash than experienced drivers.* That's why three road safety speakers are travelling throughout northern B.C. to share their personal stories and connect with high school students to help them make safer driving choices ahead of graduation season.
In northern B.C., 320 people are injured or killed in crashes involving teen drivers each year.**
ICBC road safety speaker Tiana Tozer's life changed at 20 years old when she was injured in a crash with an impaired driver. She draws from her experience as a two-time USA Paralympic medalist and humanitarian worker in Iraq to motivate youth to make positive choices and become leaders.
Paramedic Ted Swan, and Steve Serbic, Fire Chief of Esquimalt Fire Rescue Services, are also touring the region and sharing their experiences as first responders at crash scenes.
“These presentations open up conversations with teens about situations they may face and support them in making smart choices for their future," said Shabnem Afzal, ICBC's director of road safety. “Car crashes have a devastating impact on our communities. Our road safety speaker tour is one way we're working to help youth develop strong decision-making skills, prevent crashes and save lives."
Media are invited to these select speaker presentations in northern B.C.:
April 18 at 9:15 a.m., Fort Nelson Secondary, with Tiana Tozer
April 19 at 10:15 a.m., Tumbler Ridge Secondary, with Tiana Tozer
April 19 at 1:45 p.m., Chetwynd Secondary, with Tiana Tozer
April 21 at 9 a.m., Prince George, Shas Ti Kelly Road Secondary, with Tiana Tozer
April 21 at 1:38 p.m., Prince George Senior Secondary, with Tiana Tozer
April 24 at 9 a.m., Prince George, DP Todd Secondary, with Ted Swan
April 25 at 1:45 p.m., Smithers, Bulkley Valley Christian School, with Ted Swan
April 26 at 9 a.m., Terrace, Caledonia Secondary, with Ted Swan (media aren't permitted to film students)
May 15 at 1:45 p.m., McBride, McBride Secondary, with Steve Serbic (media aren't permitted to film students)
May 16 at 9 a.m., Prince George, Duchess Park Secondary, with Steve Serbic
May 17 at 9 a.m., Burns Lake, Lakes District Secondary, with Steve Serbic
May 19 at 12:30 p.m., Prince George, College on New Caledonia, with Steve Serbic
Please contact ICBC road safety coordinator, Tracey Hoffman at 250-640-3360, to confirm events 24 hours prior to attending, as dates and times are subject to change. Please check in at the school upon arrival.
Facts:
Last year, ICBC launched a free driving simulation app, Street Sense, to help new drivers recognize and avoid hazards while driving in a safe, online environment.
The top contributing factors for youth in fatal crashes are speeding (36%), distracted driving (23%) and impaired driving (20%).
Young male drivers are involved in crashes almost three times more often than young female drivers, particularly when speed or impairment is involved.
19% of drivers speeding in crashes resulting in injury or death were 16 to 21 years old. Yet these young drivers make up only 6% of all licensed B.C. drivers.
*Experienced drivers defined as anyone over the age of 25 with at least 5 years of driving experience. Based on 2019 ICBC crash data.
**Police-reported data based on the five-year average from 2017 to 2021. Teen defined as age 16 to 19.
