With the winter in Vancouver comes darkness and lots of rain. This makes it much harder for motorists to see or react to pedestrians. The dark and rainy conditions result in lower than usual visibility. The wet and sometimes icy conditions make it much harder for drivers to bring their vehicles to a stop when they do see a pedestrian in the road. According to ICBC, 76% more pedestrians are injured in motor vehicle accidents when lighting and weather conditions are poor:
http://globalnews.ca/news/1626788/icbc-launches-pedestrian-safety-campaign/
Being injured as a pedestrian can be especially devastating as you are far more likely to suffer a large brain or spinal injury outside the protection of a vehicle. In British Columbia 1 in every motor vehicle related deaths is a pedestrian.
The worst part of all of this is that in many situations pedestrians can be found liable for car accidents. This is especially true during the winter, where the simple act of wearing dark clothing can lead to you being found liable for a car accident. As always, it pays to talk to a lawyer early in the process and before you contact ICBC in any way. A poorly worded statement can be the difference between a fair settlement and nothing.
