November 23, 2011 -Today is the National Day of Remembrance for victims of road crashes in Canada. Each day, an average of six people lose their lives due to collisions on Canada’s streets and highways. Each year, an average of 3.5 people are killed on Northwest Territories roads, and for every person killed, 75 people were injured, many of them seriously. The Day is set aside to remember these victims and to consider ways we can reduce the number of collisions in the future.

“We should think every day about how we can help our friends and loved ones be safe,” said David Ramsay, Minister of Transportation. “The National Day of Remembrance is set aside to consider the consequences when avoidable collisions, injuries, and deaths occur on our roads and trails.”

At 861 collisions, 173 injuries, and four deaths, 2008 was the worst year for collisions in the Northwest Territories since 1992. The record has improved significantly since then. The 2010 NWT Traffic Collision Facts Report, which has just been released, reports that 585 collisions occurred in the NWT in 2010, the lowest number in more than 20 years. There were also 113 injuries and three fatalities in 2010. To this point in 2011, there have been no fatal collisions in the NWT.

Drive Alive, the GNWT’s road safety information program, reminds residents that the proper use of seat belts, child car seats, and booster seats can reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads. This requires a community-wide effort to encourage friends and loved ones to protect their families by using occupant restraints. In 2013, as part of the Buckle Up NWT campaign, the community with the largest percentage of seat-belt users will win $5,000 for their fire department and an all-expenses-paid concert in the community with award-winning Aboriginal artist Leela Gilday.

More information on the Day of Remembrance, including stories on six victims of road crashes from across Canada, can be found at www.rememberroadcrashvictims.ca. The Department of Transportation website has a link to the Drive Alive program at www.dot.gov.nt.ca.

For more information, please contact:

Earl Blacklock
Manager of Public Affairs and Communications
Manager responsible for the Drive Alive program
Department of Transportation, GNWT
867-873-7712
867-445-3494 (cell)