4 TRANSPORTATION SAFETY AND SECURITY
Canadians' confidence in transportation security in all modes continued to increase. There were fewer
fatalities in both the air and road transportation modes, however, there was an increase in fatalities for
marine and rail. The number of reported accidents decreased in aviation and marine, and increased for rail.
Transport Canada promotes the safety and security of
Canada's transportation system consisting of the air,
marine, rail and road modes of transportation, including
the transportation of dangerous goods. A safe and secure
transportation system aims to protect its citizens from
those occurrences which result in the loss of or damage
to life, health and property. It also enables the efficient
flow of people and goods and protects the environment
from pollution that can result from occurrences. It is an
essential element for a healthy population, a high quality
of life and a prosperous economy.
Policy development, rule-making, monitoring and
enforcement, and outreach activities are carried out in
support of the safety and security objective. Through its
policy development and rule-making efforts for all the
modes of transportation, Transport Canada establishes
and implements legislation, regulations, standards and
policies. Monitoring and enforcement activities include:
issuing licences, certificates, registrations and permits,
monitoring compliance through audits, inspections and
surveillance, and taking appropriate enforcement action in
instances of non-compliance. In particular, the
department has inspectors who monitor the system to
make sure the rules are being followed, and, if required,
have the means to enforce the policies and rules.
Outreach activities make the users and industry aware of
the requirements and involve efforts to promote, educate
and increase awareness of safety and security issues.
The safety and security of the transportation system is
a shared responsibility among many stakeholders.
Transport Canada collaborates with other federal
departments and agencies whose programs and services
may be affected by transportation activities. For example,
with respect to promoting aviation security, this
responsibility is shared with the Canadian Air Transport
Security Authority (CATSA), which is responsible for
delivering air transport security services in accordance with Transport Canada regulations and standards.
Transport Canada works with provincial, territorial and
municipal governments particularly concerning the
maintenance of the highway system, enforcement of road
safety and the co-delivery of the Transportation of
Dangerous Goods (TDG) program. Transport Canada
also works closely with transportation sector industries,
agencies and associations, all of which have a vested
interest in the transportation infrastructure, regulatory
regime and transportation safety and security. In addition,
Transport Canada collaborates with other countries such
as the United States, Mexico and other international
partners — such as the International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime
Organization (IMO) — to harmonize safety and security
standards and to share best practices in safety and
security systems.
Canada already has one of the safest and most secure
transportation systems in the world and continues to work
diligently to further improve the system. One method of
measuring the safety and security of the transportation
system is through tracking the public's ratings of safety
and security for each transportation mode. The data
reveal that, in the case of all four transportation modes,
more than 90 per cent of those Canadians who have an
opinion give either a moderately or a very safe and secure
rating. These most recent available ratings (January, 2005),
are shown in Table 4-1.
TABLE 4-1: PUBLIC'S CONFIDENCE RATING OF THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF AIR, RAIL, MARINE AND ROAD TRAVEL, JANUARY 2005
Per cent rating for: |
Moderately Safe and Secure (per cent) |
Very Safe and Secure (per cent) |
Air Travel |
36 |
61 |
Rail Travel |
35 |
63 |
Marine Travel |
46 |
51 |
Road Travel |
65 |
29 |
Source: Rethinking Government 2004 - Wave 4 Report, EKOS Research Associates, February 2005
The level of transportation safety can also be measured
by the number of occurrences that result in an accident.
In 2004, a decrease in the number of accidents was noted
in aviation and marine. There was an increase, however,
in rail transportation accidents. The number of fatalities
dropped in aviation transportation, but increased in
marine and rail. The number of road fatalities decreased
notably in 2003 (latest data). Moreover, the number of
transportation-related fatalities has remained below the
previous five-year averages in aviation, rail and road, and
the transportation of dangerous goods. With the
exception of a fluctuation in 2004 for rail, the safety
performance record observed in the three other
transportation modes has contributed towards the long-term
downward trend in accidents reported over the past ten
years. To further improve on the transportation safety
performance on the long-term, implementation of the
Safety Management Systems (SMS) is one of the key
evolving strategic directions undertaken by Transport
Canada. The SMS is a formal framework for integrating
safety performance into day-to-day operations within the
transportation industry. To date, the SMS regulations are
being introduced for aviation, implementation of regulations
has been well under way in rail, and the marine SMS is
evolving towards increased adoption for operators of
Canadian domestic vessels. In addition, the modal strategic
plans — the Civil Aviation's Flight 2005, the Direction
2006 in Rail Safety, the Marine Safety's Strategic Plan
2003-2010 and the Road Safety Vision 2010 — all report
progress in 2004 against the set performance targets for
reducing, on the long-term, the number of accidents,
fatalities and injuries.
Over the past year, Transport Canada continued to take
action to further enhance transportation security in all
modes. A key development last year was the
announcement of the Government of Canada's National
Security Policy. Transportation-related aspects include a
six-point plan for marine security; enhancement of
aviation security including air cargo; and improving and
extending security background check requirements for
transportation workers. A summary of other key initiatives
is found in Table 4-2.
This chapter reviews developments and initiatives
concerning the safety and security of Canada's
transportation system during 2004. After a review by
mode of the 2004 safety records, transportation security
is discussed and the various enhancements undertaken
in 2004 are reviewed.
TABLE 4-2: KEY TRANSPORT CANADA SECURITY INITIATIVES IN 2004
Legislative and Regulatory Enhancements
- Public Safety Act
- Regulatory framework for a new airport screening program for non-passengers
- Amendments to security regulations covering flight crew procedures and training
- Marine Transportation Security Regulations
Transportation Security Programs
- Cabin Security Enhancement Contribution Program
- Aviation Transportation Security Clearance Program
- Marine Security Contribution Program
- Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Response Project
- National Critical Infrastructure Assurance Program (NCIAP)
Awareness Campaigns and Industry Training Initiatives
- G8 Secure and Facilitate Travel Initiative
- International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)'s Universal Security
Audit Programme
- International Maritime Organization (IMO) International Ship and Port
Facility Security (ISPS) Code.
International Initiatives
- G8 Secure and Facilitate Travel Initiative
- International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)'s Universal Security Audit Programme
- International Maritime Organization (IMO) International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.
Transportation Safety
Transportation Security
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