Quick Links
Customer Centres
Day of remembrance recognizes road crash victims
Richmond, B.C., November 17, 2010 — Today is the National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims, a time to remember those killed or seriously injured on Canadian roads. Every year in Canada, almost 3,000 people die and another 200,000 are injured in road crashes, often in avoidable collisions.
The day of remembrance, being observed for the third year in Canada, originated with the Canadian Global Road Safety Committee (CGRSC), a group of injury prevention and road safety professionals from across the country. The committee felt the tragic loss of life and serious injury of so many needed to be marked by a day of its own, to honour those who have died or been affected by road crashes. It is also an opportunity to raise awareness and promote ways to prevent road traffic injury and death.
“As an agency responsible for workplace safety and health, we know that motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of worker deaths in British Columbia,” said Mark Ordeman, WorkSafeBC manager responsible for Transportation. “Together with our occupational road safety partners in B.C., we are working to eliminate the tragic loss of life on our roads.”
In 2009, 21 workers lost their lives on B.C.’s roads and highways, and every day, thousands of workers face deadly risks while driving. Although most people don’t equate road safety with workplace safety, many workers, including couriers, truck drivers, nurses, teachers, and many others, use their vehicles for work, and are vulnerable to injury while driving on the job.
“Today is an opportunity to reflect and remember those who have lost their lives on our highways”, said Transportation and Infrastructure Minister, Shirley Bond. “Safety is my number one priority and my ministry will continue to work closely with WorkSafeBC and the RCMP to maintain and improve safety conditions for our families, our workers, and our motorists.”
The road crash remembrance web site gives Canadians the opportunity to pay tribute to victims of road crashes and to take part in a pledge to leave the phone alone while driving. It also provides information and tips from Transport Canada to help make Canada’s roads safer.
WorkSafeBC is an independent provincial statutory agency governed by a Board of Directors that serves about 2.1 million workers and more than 200,000 employers. WorkSafeBC was born from a historic compromise between B.C.’s workers and employers in 1917. Under that compromise, workers gave up the right to sue their employers and fellow workers for injuries on the job, and, in return, employers funded a no-fault insurance system. WorkSafeBC is committed to safe and healthy workplaces, and to providing return-to-work rehabilitation and legislated compensation benefits.
|
For more information, contact: |
|
| Heather Young |
|