May 17-24, 2010 will mark Canada Road Safety Week, a national campaign to make Canada’s roads the safest in the world.
This week has been strategically chosen, as it is the first “summer” long weekend. More people are traveling and traffic collisions are more frequent. Police vehicles will be stationed at key locations to remind people that safe driving habits save lives and reduce injuries on our roadways.
The focus during Canada Road Safety Week will be on behaviours that reduce risks for drivers, passengers and other road users: sober and alert driving, seat belt use, and refraining from all aspects of aggressive driving. All enforcement agencies across the country have been invited to participate.
“Anyone can become a victim of unsafe driving, whether by direct involvement or when a loved one is affected,” says Swan River RCMP Sergeant Henson. “Police agencies across the country are collaborating on this project because they have seen this kind of devastation, and because they know that the involvement of the driving public is essential to achieve safer streets and highways.”
Here in the Swan River detachment area, there have been 12 deaths and 181 serious injuries over the last 5 years related to vehicle collisions. These are just numbers, but they represent a lot of pain and heartache for members of our community, that could have been prevented.
Canada Road Safety Week is sponsored by Transport Canada and endorsed by police and is part of Road Safety Vision 2010, which has a goal of making Canada’s roads the safest in the world by 2010. Now that we have reached our target year, a new road safety plan is in the process of being created so that we can continue to strive for the goal of making Canada’s roads the safest in the world.
“Dedicated to improving public safety on our roadways.”
Sgt. Steven Henson
RCMP Swan River Detachment
(204)734-4686
