Today, the Minister of Transport, the Honourable Marc Garneau, issued the following statement:
"In 2020, a great deal of our national focus has been on COVID-19. Each and every day, we receive updates on infection counts, societal impacts, and steps we need to take to stop the spread of the virus. While it's important to remain vigilant when it comes to COVID-19, we must never forget about 'silent epidemics' that claim Canadian lives.
"In Canada, there are approximately 1,900 road fatalities and 150,000 injuries each year. These are more than just statistics to me - these are real lives that were cut short, and the impacts these collisions have on families and victims are immeasurable.
"On this National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims, I encourage all Canadians to take time to remember victims of road collisions and their families.
"Over the past two decades, road fatalities have declined 34 per cent and serious injuries 42 per cent. While Canadians should be encouraged that these rates are going down, any fatality and injury is unacceptable, and we must do more to reduce these numbers further.
"Road safety in Canada is improving thanks to new and improved safety regulations, collision prevention technology, police enforcement, and - importantly - better driving behaviour.
"As Minister of Transport, road safety remains one of my top priorities and I am constantly looking at ways to improve it.
"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 historic investments in connected and automated vehicles and their associated technologies, which may help to reduce collisions and fatalities even more in the years to come.
"On this day, it's important to remember that we all have a role to play when it comes to improving road safety. Together, we can make our roads safer."
