Friday, March 29, 2024

Over 40% of drivers failed ICBC’s Drive Smart Refresher Test

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Just a few weeks ago, ICBC launched its online Drive Smart Refresher Test to ensure drivers were up to date on the rules of the road. The launch came after the release of statistics that showed an all-time high for vehicle crashes in 2017.

Over 45,000 British Columbians took the test. And based on the results, it looks like B.C.’s drivers could use a bit more practice.

ICBC says that if the refresher test was treated like the knowledge test that requires a minimum score of 80 per cent to obtain a learner’s licence, 18,000 (40 per cent) would have failed.

Drivers had the most difficulty with what to do around emergency vehicles, minimum following distances, and the meaning of certain road signs.

Questions related to texting while driving, meanwhile, received near-perfect answers. And yet, as ICBC points out, over 34,000 drivers were ticketed for using an electronic device in 2017.

Here are some of the top questions that were answered incorrectly:

  • When approaching a stopped emergency vehicle with flashing lights on highways with speed limits of under 80 km/h, in addition to changing lanes, drivers must slow to: 40 km/h
  • When approaching a stopped emergency vehicle with flashing lights on highways with speed limits of 80 km/h or over, in addition to changing lanes, drivers must slow to: 70 km/h.
  • The minimum following distance when behind a large vehicle or a motorcycle on a high speed road, should be: 3 seconds.
  • The minimum following distance in bad weather or slippery conditions on high speed roads, should be: 4 seconds.
  • Drivers are required to yield to a public transit bus that is signalling to enter traffic: on all roads where the speed limit is 60km/h or lower.

ICBC is still encouraging drivers to take the refresher test and be diligent in practicing good driving habits.

“What’s just as important as knowing the rules of the road is putting them into practice whenever you drive,” said ICBC interim vice-president Lindsay Matthews.

“No matter how many years of experience you have under your belt, we can all benefit from shedding bad driving habits and refreshing our knowledge.”

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Myles Sauer
Former staff editor and writer at Victoria Buzz.

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