Highway safety: Insurance Bureau of Canada submits its comments to the government

MONTREAL, Feb. 14, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - At the request of the Committee on Transportation and the Environment, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) submitted its comments on Bill 165 (Bill), An Act to amend the Highway Safety Code and other provisions.

IBC and its members took the opportunity to state their positions on some of the elements of the Bill that merited specific attention, and to congratulate the government on its efforts to update the Highway Safety Code.

IBC was pleased to note that distracted driving was among the issues addressed under the new Act. "Our members, the P&C insurers, have noted the increase in the number of collisions caused by distracted driving in recent years," said Pierre Babinsky, Director, Communications and Public Affairs, Insurance Bureau of Canada. In fact, IBC is urging the government to apply more severe penalties for offences. 

As regards impaired driving, IBC supports stricter administrative measures for offenders and recommended that the penalty for all factors that lead to impaired driving, including drugs, be the same as for alcohol. IBC believes zero tolerance should apply to young drivers for both alcohol and drugs.

IBC also supported the measure to move the mandatory date for equipping vehicles with winter tires forward to December 1.

As regards traffic circles, also referred to as roundabouts, IBC recommended that their introduction include information and awareness campaigns on their use, to offset drivers' lack of experience with these types of intersections. 

IBC said it was clearly in favour of pilot projects that promote innovation, more specifically those regarding autonomous vehicles. However, it reminded the government that it was essential that IBC be consulted about projects that affect vehicle traffic, given that insurance issues would very likely arise.

Lastly, IBC was very favourable to the initiatives introduced in the Bill. However, it wished to remind the government that awareness campaigns were not enough in certain files, such as distracted driving, and must include effective deterrents, if road safety was to be improved in the long term.

About Insurance Bureau of Canada
Insurance Bureau of Canada, which groups the majority of Canada's P&C insurers, offers various services to consumers in order to inform and assist them when purchasing car or home insurance, or making a claim.

SOURCE Insurance Bureau of Canada