May 12-18, 2009 marks Canada Road Safety Week, a national campaign to make Canada’s roads the safest in the world.
This special 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. Educating the public in safe driving practices is our priority.
The focus during Canada Road Safety Week will be on behaviors that put drivers, passengers and other road users most at risk such as impaired driving, non use of seat belts, intersection related incidents involving drivers, riders and pedestrians and all aspects of aggressive driving. All enforcement agencies across the country are participating in this initiative.
Anyone can become a victim of unsafe driving, whether by direct involvement or when a loved one is affected. “The deaths, pain and
broken hearts that result from carelessness behind the wheel can be prevented. 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” says Assistant Commissioner Bill Robinson, Commanding Officer of “D” Division RCMP.
In RCMP policed areas, there were 70 deaths and 151 serious injuries related to vehicle collisions during 2008, and to date in 2009 we have had 16 persons die due to motor vehicle collisions. These are just numbers but they represent moms, dads sisters, brothers, loved ones, co-workers, and neighbors. The suffering these deaths and injuries cause is unacceptable. That is why, in support of Canada Road Safety Week, the RCMP and our partners are putting extra special emphasis on Road Safety.
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 are only a year away, we see a need to extend this vision and continue to strive for this goal.
Sgt. Wayne Blackmore
RCMP D Division Traffic Services
(204) 984-4731
