Lawyer: ICBC is lying to you

Photo: Contributed

A B.C. law firm says ICBC and the province are grossly exaggerating the number of deaths caused by using electronic devices while driving.

In recent weeks, Acumen Law Corp. obtained a Freedom of Information request from the BC Coroners Service to find out exactly how many people have died in circumstances involving cellphone use.

ICBC's website states “78 people die every year in crashes where distracted driving is a contributing factor" and that one of the most common causes is the use of personal electronic devices.

Acumen Law Corp. lawyer Kyle Lee says that is a “big exaggeration,” and “we found the number is not even close to what ICBC claims.”

From 2008 to 2016, BC Coroners Service was able to identify that there were 14 deaths associated to cellphones while driving.

“ICBC is saying it is upwards of 70 a year,” said Lee.

She believes the government and ICBC are capitalizing by raising fines for distracted driving.

“By raising the fines as they have multiple times over the last few years for districted driving by adding additional driver risk penalties, by issuing driving prohibitions that then require a license reinstatement fees on the basis on two cellphone tickets in a period of time… that is all ways the government can line their pockets,” she said.

Lee added that they are selling a story to public that distracted driving is killing people and it is the number one cause of death to raise the fines.

“They are saying this many people die every year as a result of distracted driving… but from what we can tell it is just a number they plucked out of thin air,” she said.

The FOI obtained is something Lee believes cannot be argued.

“How can you argue with the BC Coroners Service, who is responsible for collecting and compiling data about deaths and why people are dying?” she said.