The latest report from the BC Coroners Service cites drug or alcohol use and failure to use a seatbelt as contributing factors in a large percentage of motor vehicle fatalities
March 3, 2020 /MarketersMedia/ —
The latest report from the B.C. Coroners Service reveals that a large percentage of car accident fatalities are due to preventable causes. The study gathered statistics on car accidents that occurred between 2008 and 2018 and found that a third of fatal accidents involved drug or alcohol use, while failure to use a seat belt or car seat was implicated in two-thirds of all fatalities.
Though DUI has traditionally been associated with alcohol, drug use has caught up and passed alcohol as the leading cause of impaired driving in Canada. According to a 2014 study that tested fatally injured drivers, 13% tested positive for alcohol use alone, 15.5% were found to have used both drugs and alcohol, and 26.9% tested positive for drugs alone. The most common drug identified was cannabis.
Failure to use proper restraints is cited as a contributing factor to the deaths of many children as well as adults in B.C. According to B.C. law, all children age 9 and under must use car seat or booster seat appropriate for their age and weight. Infants, for example, should be placed in rear-facing car seats in the back seat of the vehicle. Older children must use a booster seat until they reach a height of 145 cm to ensure that the seat belt fits across their body. Improper use of restraints increases a child’s risk of being injured in a car accident.
Other preventable causes of serious or fatal accidents include speeding, reckless driving, and distracted driving. A major cause of distraction is cell phone use; however, B.C. law now strictly prohibits use of a mobile phone while driving unless the phone is hands-free and attached to the vehicle with a mounted holder. Phone use is not the only source of distraction, though. Other examples can include eating, looking at a passenger while conversing, and trying to control an animal that is not restrained.
On a positive note, the Coroners Service report also revealed that the number of fatal car accidents declined over the period studied. In 2008, there were 377 traffic fatalities reported in B.C. In 2018, the number had gone down to 317.
Although the report does not offer possible explanations of this positive trend, auto industry experts have suggested that stricter enforcement of seat-belt laws as well as improved technology are making drivers and their passengers safer. Many new cars, for example, feature electronic stability control, which keeps cars from running off the road when they start to skid. Other improvements include safer airbags and sensors that alert drivers when they start to drift into another lane.
Though car fatalities have decreased somewhat, motorcycle fatalities are on the rise, according to the report. In the year 2018, 51 people died in motorcycle accidents, compared with just 34 in the previous year. This 50% increase in fatal accidents can be attributed in part to a growing number of motorcycles on the road. Motorcycles have become a popular alternative to cars due to their lower fuel costs.
Attorneys at Acheson Law note that many motorcycle accidents occur when a driver fails to notice a motorcycle in his or her path. Hazardous road conditions, like potholes or loose gravel, are another common culprit. Because the risk of injury is so much greater for a motorcyclist than a vehicle driver, the use of helmets and protective clothing is imperative.
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