Volunteerism plays an important role in many day-to-day aspects of community life.
In recognition of National Volunteer Week, ICBC is thanking Nanaimo, Port Alberni, Cowichan Valley, Parksville, Qualicum and area volunteers for their continued support in making Island safer.
In these communities, 270 volunteers work out of seven community policing offices and police detachments to help deliver road safety programs including Speed Watch, Lock Out Auto Crime and the Stolen Auto Recovery program.
“The extraordinary dedication to road safety shown by these volunteers and community policing offices is remarkable and truly appreciated,” said Jon Schubert, ICBC’s president and CEO. “On behalf of all our customers and ICBC employees, thank you.”
In 2010, Speed Watch volunteers on central Vancouver Island contributed approximately 3,700 hours to help reduce speed-related crashes in their communities. With the support of volunteers, speed-related crashes have steadily decreased in B.C. over the last five years.
Volunteers use radar and speed-reader boards supplied by ICBC to show drivers how fast they’re actually traveling. Research shows that it works – more than 70 per cent of drivers traveling 10km/h over the speed limit slow down when they see a speed-reader board.
In 2010, Lock Out Auto Crime volunteers on in the mid-Island handed out approximately 4,900 notices to drivers to draw attention to the risk of auto theft.
Volunteers place notices resembling parking tickets on the windshields of vehicles, many with garage door openers or valuables in sight, offering the owners common sense tips for preventing auto theft.
These volunteers also operate the Stolen Auto Recovery program on Central Vancouver Island, and in 2010, scanned more than 76,300 licence plates to help identify stolen vehicles.