ICBC cuts advertising budget by half to fund traffic enforcement instead

ICBC has announced it's cutting its yearly advertising budget by half and redirecting those funds to road safety enforcement around the province.

That will add$2.4 million totraffic units within the RCMP and municipal police forces, according to a statement released Tuesday.

"ICBC is facing significant cost pressures that really start from one place crashes," ICBCCEO Nicolas Jimenez said in the statement.

"With crashes at an all-time high in our province, we're committed to doing what we can to reduce claims costs and relieve the pressure on insurance rates."

Last year, there were a record numberof crashes in B.C. 350,000or about 960 every day.

The budget change bringsICBC's total annual investment intraffic safety enforcement to $24.8 million.

On Friday, B.C. Attorney General David Ebysaid the province'spublic auto insurer is facing a financial loss of $890 million this year.

Thatfollowsa $1.3-billion loss in 2017-2018.

"It is now clear that this government needs to look for even more ways beyond what is already planned to further reduce the escalating cost of claims," Eby said Friday.