ICBC will redirect 50% of its advertising funds to police traffic enforcement

The advertising budget for ICBC has been cut in half.

Instead, the $2.4 million will be redirected to support police traffic enforcement in the next fiscal year, which brings the total ICBC investment in road safety enforcement to $24.8 million.

The remaining $2.4 million of the crown corporation’s advertising budget will be used to extend its contract with the existing advertising agency by one year.

“Drivers in British Columbia who insist on high-risk driving are clearly not following ICBC’s general road safety advertising messages,” said David Eby, Attorney General.

“Redirecting ICBC advertising dollars to increase enforcement will give police officers more opportunity to deliver a specific and personal advertising message directly to more reckless drivers at the side of the road. That’s a good thing.”

In a press release last week, ICBC’s second-quarter results for 2018-19 forecasts a loss of $890 million this fiscal year.

Last year, there were 350,000 crashes in B.C. or about 960 per day – a record high.