Canada's Second National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims Aimed at
Raising Public Awareness of Road Carnage

OTTAWA , Nov. 17 /CNW Telbec/ - Wednesday, November 18 is the National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims in Canada - an opportunity to publicly remember the thousands of Canadian victims of traffic collisions and to acknowledge our collective responsibility in preventing serious injuries and deaths on our streets, roads and highways.

The National Day of Remembrance is organized by the Canadian Global Road Safety Committee, whose membership is made up of injury prevention and road safety professionals, including the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA).

This year's theme is "Raising awareness of the number of deaths on Canadian roads." Says CCMTA president Charles O'Donnell: "We are speaking out against the devastation caused by carelessness, recklessness and impaired judgment behind the wheel. On average, one person dies every three hours in road collisions in Canada - every day of the year. Many more people are seriously injured or indirectly affected by the death or maiming of loved ones."

O'Donnell pointed out that deaths and injuries sustained in road collisions disproportionately target the young: "In Canada , 28% of road traffic deaths and 32% of road traffic injuries occur among people under the age of 25.

"The sad fact is that almost all of these deaths and injuries are preventable," O'Donnell emphasized. "If we drive at a speed that is appropriate for road conditions, wear seat belts, use properly-fitted child restraints, and don't drive when fatigued, distracted or impaired, we can significantly reduce the number of deaths and injuries from traffic collisions. It's every motorist's responsibility to conduct themselves - and their vehicles - in this manner!"

For further information: Valerie Todd, Projects Manager, CCMTA, tel. [phone] ext 251, e-mail [email protected]; To find out more about the many activities planned for the National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims in your area, visit www.rememberroadcrashvictims.ca.