Travel by road - Taking the wheel

Canada has one of the best road safety records in the world. While the number of vehicles and drivers on Canada's roads increases year after year, our road safety record continues to improve. Between 1996 and 2001, road fatalities reached an all-time low, and serious injuries resulting from motor vehicle collisions also fell sharply - by 15 per cent during the same period.

Transport Canada helps improve road safety by:

• setting safety standards for new and imported vehicles and equipment;
• testing the safety of new vehicles, as well as child car seats, which are among the safest in the world;
• investigating vehicle defects and working with manufacturers to issue recalls when appropriate; and
• regulating the safety of the inter-provincial truck and motor coach industry.

Quick facts

• There are more than 21 million licensed drivers in Canada and some 23 million cars, trucks and buses.
• Canada has nearly 900,000 kilometres of road – enough to circle the globe 22 times.

Return to the Table of Contents