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Canadian Road Safety News Digest – February 1-28, 2018
April 9, 2018 | Categories: Quick Scan
Last Updated on December 4, 2018
Toronto pedestrian deaths mark a 'crisis' in this city, says Jennifer Keesmaat
February 23, 2018, CBC News (TORONTO, ONTARIO)
Toronto's former chief planner is warning that this city faces a crisis when it comes to the number of pedestrians killed on its streets.
Jennifer Keesmaat urged city hall to make protecting those on foot its top priority while moderating a panel discussion at the University of Toronto Thursday that also featured the city's general manager of transportation, Barbara Gray.
Celebrating 100 years in Safety
February 22, 2018, Canada Safety Council (OTTAWA, ONTARIO)
The new year brought with it a milestone date for the Canada Safety Council, who will be celebrating 100 years of safety in Canada in 2018.
The Canada Safety Council traces its roots back to the foundation of the first national volunteer safety movement started in Canada, as the Canadian National Safety League was founded in 1918. Through its activities and collaborations, the organization merged with the Canadian Highway Safety Council and the Canadian Industrial Safety Association in 1968 to form the present day Canada Safety Council.
Ottawa backs off proposal to change impaired driving threshold
February 20, 2018, CBC News (OTTAWA, ONTARIO)
The federal government is easing its foot off the gas pedal on a proposal to lower the legal blood-alcohol limit.
Last spring Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould floated the idea of lowering the criminal limit to 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood from 80 milligrams and asked for input from her provincial and territorial counterparts as well as stakeholders, like MADD Canada and the hospitality industry.
Advocates call on Tory to support Yonge Street bike lane project
February 20, 2018, CBC News (TORONTO, ONTARIO)
A group of environmental and road safety advocates are calling on Mayor John Tory to support a proposed project that would reduce lanes and add a raised bike path on a three-kilometre section of Yonge Street north of Sheppard Avenue.
The plan, called "Transform Yonge," which is being recommended by city staff, emerged from a study called the "REimagining Yonge" project.
Work-related motor vehicle crashes leading cause of traumatic workplace deaths in BC
February 20, 2018, Road Safety at Work, (RICHMOND, BC)
Work-related motor vehicle incidents (MVIs) account for 33 per cent of all work-related traumatic deaths in British Columbia, making it the leading cause of traumatic workplace deaths in the province.
On average each year, 21 workers are killed and another 1,339 are injured and miss time from work because of work-related crashes…
Steve Wallace: New driving retests coming for seniors
February 16, 2018, Times Colonist (VICTORIA, BC)
The Enhanced Road Assessment, known as ERA, is designed to assess drivers, identified by physicians, who might have cognitive, motor or sensory impairments that could adversely affect their ability to drive. Road Safety B.C. will rely on ICBC to administer the program on behalf of the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles, renamed Road Safety.
Challenges to drug-impaired driving charges likely to clog up Canada's courts, police warn
February 15, 2018, National Post (OTTAWA, ONTARIO)
At a time when the government is working to reduce delays in the court system, police are warning that its new legislation on impaired driving is likely to cause a dramatic spike in litigation and constitutional challenges.
Impaired driving is already one of the biggest drains on court resources, responsible for about 10.1 per cent of cases before Canadian courts, according to a Stats Canada brief prepared for the Senate legal affairs committee.
Kids' understanding of traffic vital in preventing fatal crosswalk accidents: expert
February 15, 2018, CBC News (WINNIPEG, MANITOBA)
As the city conducts a traffic-study that includes a crosswalk where an eight-year-old boy was hit and killed by a truck on his way to school in St. Vital this week, a pedestrian safety expert says any changes made need to consider the way children understand how traffic works.
Jeannette Montufar says instead of looking at how to improve crosswalks used by children, we need to look at how children use crosswalks.
Plante administration says cyclists should be allowed to do rolling stops, turn right on red
February 14, 2018, Global News (MONTREAL, QUEBEC)
Some proposed changes to the road safety code are making waves. The Plante administration wants cyclists to be allowed to do rolling stops at stop signs, among other propositions to Quebec as they re-work the rules. “If it’s safe, if it’s not scaring anybody and if it’s not cutting the road off anyone, then the cyclist can go on without having to stop,” said Marianne Giguere, responsible for active transport at Montreal’s Executive Committee. She believes the change would make roads safer.
Drug-driving awareness taken to the next level with high school presentations: Manitoba Public Insurance
February 12, 2018, MPI (WINNIPEG, MANITOBA)
Manitoba Public Insurance took its cannabis-impaired driving awareness and education campaign to the next level today, with more than 600 students from Winnipeg’s Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute viewing an impactful video about the fatal consequences of driving while high.
Manitoba Public Insurance is the provincial sponsor of MADD Canada’s School Assembly Program, which officially launched in Manitoba today and will reach an estimated 100,000 middle and high school students through more than 100 presentations over the next several weeks…
Canada asleep at wheel with self-driving cars, says Senate
February 10, 2018, St. Albert Gazette (ST. ALBERT, ALBERTA)
Canada is asleep at the wheel when it comes to the future of self-driving cars, a Senate committee reports, and needs to get organized if it wants to avoid trouble ahead. The Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communication released its Driving Changestudy on automated and connected vehicles last Jan. 31. Automakers are now developing cars that can drive themselves (automated) and ones that can talk to the Internet (connected).
Sask. records lowest number of traffic deaths in six decades: SGI
February 8, 2018, CTV News (REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN)
Fewer people died in traffic crashes last year than any other year since 1954, Saskatchewan Government Insurance says.
Last year, there were 102 deaths on Saskatchewan roads. In 2016, there were 125 deaths. The province’s yearly average is 145 deaths over the past 10 years (2007 to 2016).
Conservative senator says police won't be ready for high drivers by Canada Day deadline
February 6, 2018, CBC News (OTTAWA, ONTARIO)
Canada Day 2018 may not be as high a time as some Canadians might have hoped.
On Tuesday, three Liberal cabinet ministers defended the government's cannibas legislation in a rare televised session in the Red Chamber, and the focus was on the self-imposed legalization deadline of July 1.
B.C.’s legal marijuana rules: possession limit, growing at home and drug-impaired driving
February 5, 2018, Global News, (VANCOUVER, BC)
The B.C. government has released more information on the use of recreational marijuana when it becomes legal in Canada later this year.
On Sunday, Global News learned cannabis products will not be sold alongside alcohol.
In urban areas, licensed retailers will only be allowed to sell cannabis and cannabis accessories, and will not be allowed to sell other products, such as food, gas, clothing and lottery.
How the feds are changing vehicle safety in Canada
February 2, 2018, Canadian Underwriter (OTTAWA, ONTARIO)
A bill affecting vehicle safety recalls and emerging automotive technologies could soon become law with the passage Wednesday in the House of Commons of Bill S-2.
Bill S-2 brings “one of the most significant changes” to the 47-year-old federal Motor Vehicle Safety Act, because it changes existing law to give Canada’s transport minister the power to order an auto manufacture to correct a defect or non-compliance in a vehicle, said Karen McCrimmon, Liberal MP for Kanata-Carleton, Ont.
Canadian Events & Conferences in 2018
Highway Safety Research Centre – Free Course on Road Safety Fundamentals
Online
March 8 – April 26, 2018
CCMTA 2018 Annual Meeting
Quebec City, QC
June 3-6, 2018
CARSP Conference 2018
Victoria, BC
June 10-13, 2018
The 10th International ACM Conference on Automotive User Interfaces and Interactive Vehicular Applications
Toronto, Ontario
September 23-25, 2018