63% of B.C. drivers set to repeat last year’s winter-driving mistakes

Almost half of B.C.’s drivers experienced an incident last winter, according to a new BCAA survey.

“Last year’s conditions were the worst that BCAA has seen in decades,” said BCAA senior safety manager Dave Weloy in a release.

But despite the number of accidents, the survey found 63 per cent of British Columbians have no plans to do more to prepare this year.

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“I’m shocked that despite the thousands of rescues we made, drivers still aren’t convinced they need to do more in terms of planning.”

He said the most common winter-related incident drivers experienced last year was skidding on black ice and getting stuck on snowy roads.

Many drivers admitted to taking risks, with 43 per cent saying they drove during snowy conditions despite feeling nervous.

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“A lot of people felt pressured from obligations so I think a lot of people weren’t taking care of themselves and preparing themselves for the winter conditions,” Weloy said.

But no obligation is worth risking your life, said Weloy, adding there are many things drivers can do to be safe including having winter tires and adjusting driving habits to match the road conditions.

The survey was conducted online from Nov. 6-10. A total of 735 B.C. residents participated, all of whom had a valid driver’s licence and drove at least one hour a week.

~With files from Robyn Crawford