If I could give all of you one gift this Christmas it would be a year’s worth of safe driving. For those of us here in British Columbia that would mean more than one driver a day would not die, 81 people would not be injured and 69 property damage collisions would not occur. Imagine that.

For those of you who think that they have not been affected by a collision in the past year, consider about 80 percent of what you paid to ICBC to insure your vehicle. This is the amount in your premium that ICBC used to pay for death, injury and damage. Wouldn’t an 80 percent reduction in vehicle insurance be a nice gift also?

If I could wish for one gift in return it would be that everyone take a moment and consider that they are not the only driver on the highway. Grant courtesy to other drivers, even when they don’t deserve it. If we were as courteous to other drivers as we are when face to face, I dare say that many of the situations that we find ourselves in while driving would not occur.

Thank you to all that publish and read this column and take the time to respond to it with comments both positive and negative. You provide the ideas and incentive that keeps me writing and learning. Please have a happy and safe holiday season.

Tags:Behind The Wheel, ICBC

About the Author

Cst. Tim Schewe (Ret) is the author of the Behind The Wheel column. He has been writing the column for most of the 20 years of his traffic enforcement service in the RCMP. In January 2006, Schewe retired from the force and resides in Vancouver Island. You can visit his website at http://www.drivesmartbc.ca/