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Working together to influence safe winter driving practices in BC

Hours Posted on Hours Updated on

Author(s): Anita Deiter

Slidedeck Presentation Only (no paper submitted):

4A Deiter_Working Together to Influence Safe Winter Driving Practices in BC

Abstract:

In B.C., the number of crashes in which someone is killed or injured due to driving too fast for
road conditions almost doubles from 138 in October to 261 in December.

In order to reduce the number and severity of winter-weather-related vehicle crashes, a group of road safety
stakeholders came together in 2006 to positively influence drivers to prepare for winter driving
and adopt safe winter driving practices. These organizations believed they would be more
effective working together on this public safety issue.

Today, the Winter Driving Safety Alliance comprises members from 10 organizations including
BC Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association, the BC Ministry of Transportation and
Infrastructure (MoTI), ICBC, WorkSafeBC, Justice Institute of BC (JIBC), BC Forest Safety Council,
Trucking Safety Council of BC, Emcon Services, Mainroad Contracting and Pacific Coach Lines.

Speaking in a single voice with a single brand

To achieve its objective, each year the Winter Driving Safety Alliance:

  • Creates and implements an annual public awareness campaign called Shift into Winter that includes paid, social and earned media
  • Creates a portfolio of branded marketing materials such as presentations, tip sheets and posters which Alliance members can customize to use in their markets
  • Engages other stakeholders such as municipalities and school districts to promote the safety message through their channels to their audiences
  • Promotes its website, ShiftintoWinter.ca, as a one-stop shop for winter-driving safety information

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Source: ICBC Casualty Crashes by Contributing Factor. Driving Too Fast for the Conditions 2008 – 2012 Police
Reported Data.