160% increase in ICBC claims during B.C. snow storm, arctic blast

The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) says during the worst of the province’s arctic outflow weather last week, it received a 160 per cent increase in claims than its usual January average.

Shabnem Afzal, ICBC’s director of road safety, tells CityNews the insurance provider usually sees about 1,300 claims per day. But on Thursday, Jan. 11, it received 3,500 claims “due to the snow and driving conditions.”

“What we normally actually see in January is a 91 per cent increase in crashes due to driving too fast for the conditions,” Afzal said.

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“So, obviously, when you get this kind of weather, people aren’t always … very good at driving in the snow here in B.C., and obviously, in the Lower Mainland … because we don’t get it that often.”

Afzal explains drivers need to slow down, be mindful as you approach intersections, and give yourself a lot of extra time.

“The intersection can be a dangerous place if you can’t stop where you’re supposed to stop. It takes a lot longer to do that,” she explained. “And if your vehicle is not equipped with snow tires, that’s another factor in why crashes happen in these kinds of conditions.”

The increase in insurance claims comes after Metro Vancouver saw a slow, messy commute home on Thursday. While the actual accumulation of snow wasn’t as much as previous snow storms, roads quickly turned into sheets of ice, with many drivers slipping and sliding.

A lot of areas, including in New Westminster, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Richmond, Surrey, and Vancouver, saw bumper-to-bumper gridlock, cars sliding down hills, and transit buses getting stuck.

ICBC is aware that cities around the region make big efforts to clear main roads, but Afzal describes storms like this as a “race against time.”

“Often you see the snow plows out and they’re working 24/7. But the side streets are often the last to get cleared. And obviously, they have to try and manage the risk associated with which roads will be the most dangerous and the most popular route,” she said.

As the Lower Mainland is set to see another blast of arctic weather and snow on Tuesday and Wednesday, Afzal says the region looks to be well-equipped with plenty of salt on the roads.

“I think we may be better prepared; I’m hoping that that will be the case. People have had a bit of a taste in terms of what happens when you don’t drive to conditions. So, people, I think, will be hopefully more cautious.”

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“It’s not just driver behavior. It’s also how well-equipped your vehicle is — if you’ve got snow tires, if your headlights are working properly, that also helps.”

However, if you don’t need to or aren’t required to drive during the upcoming weather, don’t, Afzal says.

“Ideally, if you can avoid driving, then that’s probably the best case scenario. Some of us are able to work from home, for example, and so that’s really great. The alternative is to take transit because it is safer and it means that you don’t have to be out on the road unnecessarily in your vehicle.”

For folks who do have to drive, plan ahead, allow yourself extra time, prepare your vehicle, and have an emergency kit, Afzal says.

“If you’re going to be on the highway, you just don’t know what will happen. We saw that last year with many people stuck on highways, so really try and prepare for that.”

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–With files from Sonia Aslam