Serious crashes due to driver fatigue spike in July and August. Here's why, according to ICBC

A driver yawns in this stock photo. (Shutterstock.com)

The provincial insurer is warning British Columbians planning a B.C. Day road trip to guard against driver fatigue, which it says is responsible for a surge in injuries and deaths on B.C. roads every July and August.

Police-reported data from 2018 through 2022 shows an annual average of 87 people injured or killed in crashes related to driver fatigue during those two months, compared to a monthly average of 55 during the rest of the year, ICBC said in a warning to drivers Wednesday.

Put another way, the ICBC data shows the rate of fatigue-related crashes is 58 per cent higher in July and August than it is from September through June.

Asked if it has an explanation for why these two months, in particular, are so dangerous, ICBC blamed a variety of social and meteorological factors, telling CTV News via email:

"Over the summer months, people often take vacations that involve road trips that may be longer than usual. This coincides with warmer weather, and at some points in the summer, we experience stretches where the temperatures are well above 30 degrees. We also have more hours of daylight over the summer compared to the winter months. All of these factors together contribute to increased fatigue for drivers in July and August."

"We're encouraging drivers to be mindful of the warning signs of driver fatigue," the insurer added, noting that these include "finding it difficult to stay within your lane, struggling to stay focused, or eyes feeling heavy."

Anyone who notices any of these signs while driving should pull over in a safe place – such as a rest stop – and take a break, according to ICBC.

The insurer advises travellers on long road trips to take breaks at least every two hours and to switch drivers, if possible.

Between 2018 and 2022, the B.C. Day long weekend saw an average of 2,064 crashes provincewide, with an average of 562 people suffering injuries and two people dying each year.

More than half of those crashes – 1,235, on average – occur in the densely populated Lower Mainland, with another 306 on Vancouver Island, 352 in the Southern Interior, and 130 in the rest of the province, according to ICBC.