The Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, issued this statement on the Canadian National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims
November 17, 2021 Ottawa Transport Canada
The Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, issued this statement on the Canadian National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims:
“Today is the Canadian National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims. A day to think about what we must all do to make Canada’s highways and roads safer.
“In Canada, there are approximately 1,900 road fatalities and 150,000 injuries each year. These statistics represent lives that were cut short, or significantly changed by a road accident. They also tell a tragic story of the impact collisions have on victims and families. On this Canadian National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims, I encourage all Canadians to take time to remember victims of road collisions and their families and to remember that each of us has a responsibility for safety on the road.
“Over the past two decades, road fatalities have declined 41 per cent and serious injuries 39 per cent, despite significant increases in the number of drivers and registered vehicles. While Canadians should be encouraged that these rates are going down, any fatality or injury is unacceptable, and we must do more to reduce these numbers even further.
“As Minister of Transport, road safety remains one of my top priorities and I am constantly looking at ways to improve it. Canada’s Road Safety Strategy 2025 has been endorsed by myself and all provincial and territorial Ministers of Transportation and continues to guide safety initiatives.
“Canada is also supportive of the Decade of Action for Road Safety, developed by the World Health Organization and the United Nations regional commissions, which calls for a 50 per cent reduction in deaths and injuries by 2030. That is why in 2020, the Government of Canada made multi-million dollar investments in the Enhanced Road Safety Transfer Payment Program, which aims to reduce road-related collisions, injuries and fatalities, while encouraging harmonization with provincial and territorial road safety initiatives. We also continue to make significant investments in connected and automated vehicles and their associated technologies, with a view to reducing collisions and fatalities even more in the years to come.
“Together, let’s make Canada’s roads and highways safer than ever.”
Allison St-Jean
Senior Communications Advisor and Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Omar Alghabra
Minister of Transport, Ottawa
(613) 290-8656
Allison.St-Jean@tc.gc.ca
