Ottawa, January 22, 2008 – Canada’s roads are gradually becoming safer to travel on due in large part to the efforts of road safety stakeholders in support of the country’s national road safety plan, called Road Safety Vision 2010. While this measured improvement is encouraging, a mid-term review of this safety plan, which was recently conducted by independent consultants, indicated that Canada’s roads could become even safer through additional efforts by agencies responsible for road safety.
Canada’s national road safety plan contains both a vision – ‘to have the safest roads in the world’ and a quantitative target – ‘to reduce fatalities and serious injuries by 30% during the 2008-2010 period over comparable figures during the 1996-2001 period’. Canada’s level of ‘road safety’ is measured on a ‘deaths per billion vehicle-kilometres travelled’ basis. Canada’s ‘death rate’ is compared with the world’s other leading industrial nations in order to determine if Canada is achieving its goal of having ‘the safest roads in the world’.
Road Safety Vision 2010 is a nine-year national road safety action plan, with a 2002-2010 timeframe, that seeks to achieve reductions in casualties through targeted interventions that are developed and implemented by governmental and non-governmental organizations focusing on the most critical road safety problems such as drinking and driving, non-use of seat belts and speeding.
The authors of the mid-term review examined jurisdictional progress reports and collision data, conducted telephone surveys and held focus groups and a workshop among key road safety stakeholders.
The consultants observed that noteworthy improvements had occurred among a number of areas targeted under Road Safety Vision 2010. Specifically, substantial progress occurred in the number of fatally or seriously injured crash victims who were unbelted or young drivers or who were involved in crashes at intersections or on rural roads.
The consultants indicated that substantially more progress could be achieved through the development of a road safety strategy and action plans with modeled targets and community consultations; a ‘safe systems approach’ for making road travel safer; increased multi-sectoral involvement, in particular from the infrastructure domain; increased resources for police enforcement, infrastructure programs, vehicle safety promotion and road safety risk awareness; more evaluation and monitoring of programs and assessments of network-wide risks; and the establishment of effective legislation and the adjustment of ineffective legislation where necessary.
Canadian jurisdictions have already begun to act on the findings of this review. A number of them have already developed or are implementing a number of key recommendations made by the consultants. For example, most jurisdictions have developed three-year road safety action plans and are seeking a commitment from their respective jurisdictional Ministers’ for the implementation of these plans.
Canada currently ranks 11th among the world’s leading economies in its efforts to have the safest roads in the world behind countries such as Sweden, the Netherlands and Great Britain.
The world leaders in road safety all have a number of common traits. They include:
In addition, these countries have adopted tough and sometimes unpopular measures. Examples include:
A renewed commitment by all road safety stakeholders and the adoption of tough measures should result in even safer road travel for Canadians in the future.
Detailed information on the Mid-Term Review of Road Safety Vision 2010 is available at www.ccmta.ca.
For jurisdictional information, please contact:
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Lisa Howie - Tel: (250) 387-5692
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor GeneralALBERTA
Jeanette Espie - Tel: (780) 427-6588
Alberta Infrastructure & TransportationSASKATCHEWAN
Kwei Quaye - Tel: (306) 775-6182
Saskatchewan Government InsuranceMANITOBA
Dianne DeKock - Tel: (204) 945-5776
Manitoba Infrastructure and TransportationONTARIO
Sue Lo - Tel: (416) 235-4050
Ontario Ministry of TransportationQUEBEC
Audrey Chaput or Gino Desrosiers - Tel: (418) 528-4894
Société de l’assurance automobile du QuébecNEW BRUNSWICK
Chrystiane Mallaley - Tel: (506) 444-5267
Dept. of Public SafetyNOVA SCOTIA
Bernie Clancy – Tel: (902) 424-3541
Dept. of Transportation and Infrastructure RenewalPRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
Andrew Sprague - Tel: (902) 368 5112
Dept. of Transportation and Public WorksNEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR
Vanessa Colman-Sadd – Tel: (709) 729-4860
Dept. of Government ServicesNORTHWEST TERRITORIES
Earl Blacklock – Tel: (867) 873-7712
Dept. of TransportationYUKON
Kira Steen - Tel: (867) 667-3146
Dept. of Highways and Public WorksNUNAVUT
Lorna Gee – Tel: (867) 360-4614
Dept. of Economic Development and TransportationTRANSPORT CANADA
Jessie Chauhan - Tel: (613) 991-5933
Transport Canada
Background: Road Safety Vision 2010 Mid-Term Review Executive Summary