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Our Road Safety Agenda
We need to improve road safety. Our lives depend on it.
Consider the facts: Road crashes claim nearly 3,000 lives and injure over 200,000 people each year in Canada. Nearly one in every hundred people in this country will be killed or injured on our roads.
The costs are staggering - over $25 billion a year. That's just the dollar cost. Add to that the immeasurable pain and loss endured by crash victims and their families. For those who live with the aftermath of trauma and serious injury from traffic collisions, the costs continue for years and years.
We know what needs to be done
The overwhelming majority of deaths and injuries on our roads can be prevented. TIRF has led the way to safety on our roads by generating and sharing knowledge on current and emerging issues and trends that affect road safety. We have influenced decisions and action by government, business and industry, traffic safety agencies and advocacy groups around the world in the areas of legislation, enforcement, education and training.
After more than four decades, TIRF's vision and commitment are stronger than ever. We are dedicated to improving road safety. And we know what's needed.
- Better understanding of road users: Over 80 percent of road crashes are caused by human error or condition. Death and injury can hang on a single decision in a single moment - whether it's to buckle a seat belt, have one more drink before driving home, or slow down on an icy curve. We need greater insight into why drivers behave as they do in order to intervene more effectively.
- Relevant, effective measures: Programs and policies aimed at improving road safety have to address the underlying causes of road crashes. They must be based on contemporary research and evaluation. They need to reflect the best use of resources, and have a measurable impact on the problem.
- Informed, concerted effort: Results won't come from isolated efforts. It takes shared knowledge and understanding, synchronized policies and programs, and coordinated, consistent effort across all sectors to improve road safety.
- Road safety needs to become a priority: Traffic collisions are the third leading cause of death in Canada, yet as a society, we continue to tolerate an unacceptable level of risk and carelessness on the road. Legislation and enforcement alone cannot prevent deaths and injuries. Until road safety becomes a priority, we will continue to experience the loss, devastation and tragic social consequences of road crashes.
What it takes
We take action on four fronts:
- Research to improve knowledge and understanding of road safety. To gain insight into the societal forces and individual attitudes that determine road-user behaviour. To stay ahead of emerging issues and trends that are shaping the future of road safety. To identify, design, promote and implement effective solutions.
- Innovation to focus the best minds on applying knowledge for results. To create new solutions to road safety problems. To strengthen the relevance and impact of policies and programs.
- Information exchange through leading technology to ensure access to the most current, comprehensive and relevant statistical and data resources from around the world. To get the most contemporary knowledge into the hands of those who need it, when they need it.
- Education to help others put knowledge to work through training. To support coordinated, consistent decisions and actions. To ensure that knowledge leads to action.
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