The holiday rush can be hectic, but one provincial agency is reminding drivers that it doesnB次元官网网址檛 need to be reckless.

With National Safe Driving Week kicking off on Dec. 1, Road Safety at Work (RSAW) is highlighting the increase in driving risk around the holidays.

B次元官网网址淟ast December saw 3,244 crashes reported to ICBC on Vancouver Island,B次元官网网址� RSAW stated in a press release.  

Victoria reported the most crashes on the Island in December 2023, 654 of them in total, 24 per cent more than the runner-up city of Nanaimo.

Other Greater Victoria communities didn't escape unscathed, with 309 crashes reported last December in Saanich, 178 in Langford, 57 in Central Saanich, 56 in Sooke, 54 in Sidney, 47 in Colwood, 43 in Oak Bay, 41 in Esquimalt, 33 in View Royal and 29 in North Saanich. That equates to more than 48 crashes a day on the streets of Greater Victoria, in Decemeber 2023. Across B.C., nearly 800 crashes were reported a day in December.  

While the risk may be greater, RSAW says the key to staying safe is really just to slow down. B次元官网网址淩ushing to your destination while driving might seem like a way to save time when youB次元官网网址檝e got a lot to do, but it greatly increases the risk of a crash," said Trace Acres, program director for Road Safety at Work. 

"Slowing down and giving yourself extra time is one of the best ways to help ensure you and your loved ones travel safely this holiday season." 

RSAW shared several other tips to stay safe this season; namely, avoid driving in poor conditions, leave more space between yourself and other vehicles, use winter tires if there is a little snow, keep your eyes on the road, and no phones.  

B次元官网网址淲e all share the responsibility for making B.C.B次元官网网址檚 roads safer during the holiday season,B次元官网网址� says Acres. B次元官网网址淥ur friends and family members want us home to celebrate with them.B次元官网网址�