6. Transportation Safety
Transportation safety in Canada continued to improve, accident
and number of fatalities having declined generally in all modes.
In Canada, responsibility for transportation safety involves many stakeholders,
including the federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments;
industry; and non-governmental organizations that focus on transportation
safety.
The federal government regulates and co-ordinates safety-related issues
in the following areas: aeronautics and airports; air and marine navigation;
marine shipping facilities; commercial shipping; new motor vehicle standards;
and railways and canals connecting provinces with each other or with the
United States.
Transport Canada works closely with other federal government agencies
to maintain nation-wide safety. These agencies include the Transportation
Safety Board, an independent agency that investigates and reports to Parliament
accidents and system failures in the air, rail and marine modes.
The transportation sector as a whole is composed of mature industries
that are well represented through strong industry associations that deal
with their constituents' concerns and that are equally interested in maintaining
and promoting the safety of their operations and products. These stakeholders
share the concerns of users, private consumer-oriented organizations, and
the federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments about maintaining
the ongoing safety of Canada's transportation system.
This chapter reviews three aspects of transportation safety today: transportation
occurrence statistics; an estimate of the total value of transportation
accident losses; and the various levels of governments' initiatives for
promoting transportation safety in 1997.
Transportation Occurrences
In general, statistics indicate that transportation safety in Canada
is improving. In most modes, safety has increased considerably over the
past 10 years; in every mode, it has improved over the past five years.
In the area of road safety, for example, the total number of accidents in
1996 was approximately seven per cent lower than the average of the previous
five years (660,708 accidents in 1996, compared with an average 710,692
from 1991 - 1995). The number of fatalities in 1996 was more than ten per
cent lower than the previous five-year average (3,082 accidents in 1996
- 400 fewer than the 1991 - 1995 average of 3,482).
The accident rate, which takes into account the level of activity in
each mode, also shows a general downward trend. Aviation statistics, for
example, report an accident rate that is almost 17 per cent lower in 1997
than the 1992 - 1996 average, i.e. nine versus 10.8 accidents per 100,000
hours flown. Marine statistics indicate an accident rate of 3.9 per 1,000
arrivals or departures of vessels in 1997, as opposed to 4.2 average over
the previous five years. For rail, the 1997 rate of nine was down slightly
in comparison to the five year average rate of 9.3 accidents per million
train kilometres.
In the aviation, marine and rail modes, the most recent data list some
2,005 accidents, with 207 aviation, marine and rail fatalities in 1997 -
a year in which accidents decreased slightly in the rail and marine modes,
but increased slightly in the aviation mode. Yet, despite the overall decrease
in transportation occurrences, 1997 was marked by some major accidents:
rail accidents at Biggar and Lytton; the aviation accident at the Fredericton
airport; and the bus accident at Les Éboulements, Quebec.
Table 6-1 compares transportation occurrences with the five-year average.
Aviation
Domestic Operations
In 1997, there were 352 accidents involving Canadian-registered aircraft
(excluding ultralights). This figure is
three per cent higher than in 1996, but well below the 1992 - 1996 average.
Despite the slight increase, the long-term trend remains downward. It is
estimated that the number of hours flown has increased slightly for 1997,
resulting in an estimated accident rate of nine accidents per 100,000 flying
hours. There were 76 fatalities in 1997, an increase
of seven per cent over 1996, a figure 14 per cent lower than the 1992 -
1996 average.
Typically, private operators are involved in the majority of accidents.
Most commercial accidents involve air taxi or specialty aircraft. To address
this finding, Transport Canada and the aviation industry have established
a Task Force on the Safety of Air Taxi Operations (SATOPS). Its objective
is to propose ways to improve the safety record of the air-taxi segment
of the aviation industry.
Table 6-2 summarizes transportation occurrences in aviation from 1988
to 1997.
Averaged over the five-year period from 1992 to 1996, there were 394
accidents per year, producing an accident rate of 10.8, and an average of
88 fatalities per year.
International Comparisons
There are significant differences in the accident and fatality rates
of Canadian and American airline operations, as shown by the data reported
in Tables 6-3 and 6-4.
Scheduled and Non-Scheduled Airline Operations
In 1996, large commercial carriers (Level I) and charter and regional
carriers (Level II) accounted for two thirds of the total hours flown, but
only five per cent of fatal and non-fatal accidents. In fact, there has
not been a fatal accident involving Level I carriers since 1984. Level II
carriers have suffered only two major fatal accidents in recent years: the
Nationair accident in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in July 1991 and the Air Ontario
accident at Dryden, Ontario in March 1989. Table 6-3 shows accidents and
fatality rates for Level I and II carriers.
Small Air Carrier Operations
The majority of Canadian commercial accidents are in Levels III to VI
- aircraft flown by commuter, air-taxi, and aerial-work services, and training
clubs. The flying environment within which these operators work, the level
of experience of pilots and, in some cases, the age of the aircraft are
major factors contributing to these accidents.
Levels III to VI accounted for one third of total hours flown but 95
per cent of the fatal and non-fatal accidents. With respect to accident
occurrences in Levels III to VI, significant topographical differences among
the regions where carriers operate contributed most to the occurrence of
accidents. The Rockies in the west and the vast lake-covered areas in Ontario
offer less friendly environments for aviation. Table 6-4 shows accidents
and fatalities for Level III and IV carriers.
Marine
Marine transportation statistics reveal a general downward trend in accidents
and accident rates after 1990, indicating that the level of marine safety
has improved over this period.
The industry reported a total of 528 shipping accidents in 1997 - a 19-year
low, a 12.5 per cent decrease from 1996, and a 27 per cent decrease from
the 1992 - 1996 average of 729. These decreases coincide with a continuing
decrease in fishing activities and an apparent reduction in shipping movements.
There was also a 27 per cent decrease in the number of fatalities from
the 1992 - 1996 annual average. Fatalities have declined since 1994. In
recent years, approximately half of all marine fatalities have resulted
from accidents aboard ship. Table 6-5 outlines occurrences in marine transportation.
Averaged over the five-year period from 1992 - 1996, there were 729 accidents,
producing an accident rate of 4.2, and an average rate of 33 fatalities
per year.
There were 29,000 commercial registered vessels in Canada in 1997, of
which 21,367 were fishing vessels. The total number of accidents involving
commercial vessels declined from 279 in 1996 to 188 in 1997, a 33 per cent
reduction. However, the number of Canadian fishing vessels involved in shipping
accidents has remained fairly constant in the last two years.
Historically, accidents involving fishing vessels constituted the largest
portion of shipping accidents, accounting in 1997 for 54 per cent of the
total.
The commercial accident rate, involving both Canadian and foreign-flag
vessels, has remained relatively stable since 1992, with a slight decrease
since 1995.
Rail
Domestic Operations
Railway occurrences that were collected by Transport Canada became reportable
to the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) in 1990, the year the Board was
established.
In 1997, 1,125 railway accidents were reported, down 14 per cent from
1996 and down three per cent from the 1992 - 1996 annual average. This represents
an accident rate of nine accidents per million train-kilometres, using an
estimated 125.5 million train-kilometres as the 1997 activity base. The
figure is down from the 1996 rate of 10.8 and the 1992 - 1996 average of
9.3.
Of the total number of rail-related accidents reported in 1997, train
derailments and collisions in yards, spurs, or sidings caused 38 per cent;
crossing accidents, 27 per cent, and main-track derailments, 16 per cent.
Table 6-6 summarizes occurrences in rail transportation.
The 107 fatalities reported in 1997 represent the lowest number of fatalities
since 1990, down from the five-year average of 121. Most fatalities result
from crossing and trespassing accidents.
International Comparisons
Comparison of rail safety with the United States over the 1991 - 1996
period shows that both countries have experienced significant reductions
in public-crossing accident rates and that Canada's rates were 30-40 per
cent lower than those in the United States throughout the period being examined.
Figure 6-1 compares Canada's rail safety with rail safety in the US.
Several factors may have contributed to Canada's lower accident rate,
for example, the United States- greater population density and greater per-capita
usage of motor vehicles, which produce greater levels of exposure to risk.
The annual trespasser-fatality rate in Canada has remained relatively
constant over this five-year period, while the US rate has decreased by
over 20 per cent. Figure 6-2 shows the number of trespassers killed per
10 million train-kilometres.
Transport Canada recognizes that more can be done to improve the level
of rail safety in Canada. In 1996, in co-operation with industry, interest
groups, provinces and municipalities, the department launched a ten-year
program to reduce grade crossings and trespassers fatalities by 50 per cent.
The focus will be on public awareness and education programs, enhancement
of enforcement measures, and research on technical improvements.
Road
Domestic Operations
Approximately 95 per cent of all transportation fatalities occur on the
roads. Table 6-7 relating to total road collisions and casualties shows
a general downward trend with respect to the number of casualty collisions,
as well as persons killed and injured. The table reports total road collisions
and casualties.
The number of collisions has been steadily declining. Figures for 1996
are five per cent below 1995, and seven per cent below the 1991 - 1995 average.
The number of persons killed also declined in 1996: eight per cent below
the 1995 figure and 11 per cent below the 1991 - 1995 average.
Table 6-8 depicts the number of fatalities classified by six major categories
of road users. Downward trends are apparent in all but the pedestrian category
over the 1991 - 1996 period. There was no clear trend in pedestrian fatalities
over this period.
The fatality rate has been declining steadily in Canada over the years
but varies considerably among provinces, as depicted in Figure 6-3.
As shown in Figure 6-4, commercial vehicles are involved in only eight
per cent of all collisions, but account for 18 per cent of all fatalities
because of large vehicle mass.
International Comparisons
Figure 6-5 compares fatality rates among member countries of the Organization
for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and demonstrates that
in 1995, Canada was ranked seventh among OECD countries.
Vehicle ownership is considered a safety factor reflecting the level
of concentration of motor vehicle activity and exposure to risk. Canada's
vehicle ownership was 58 per 100 inhabitants in 1995, compared with 73 in
the United States, the country that ranked highest among OECD countries.
Estimates of Value of Accident Losses
While the previous section focused on transportation accidents and fatalities,
this section extrapolates this information to explore the economic cost
to society of transportation accident losses. The section estimates (within
an order of magnitude) the total value of transportation accident losses.
This estimate is intended to help place the significant investments made
by all levels of governments on transportation safety in context with economic
repercussions of losses caused by transportation accidents.
The estimated value of accident losses was based on the guidelines in
the department's Guide to Benefit-Cost Analysis, and an earlier departmental
paper assessing the methods, to which interested readers are referred.Note 1
The concept accepted by most economists in valuing such intangibles as
accident losses (or lost travelling time, or environmental damage) is that
they should be given money values directly analogous to market prices, determined
from what people would be willing to pay to avoid them. For transport accidents,
it is proposed that the relevant people are those facing the risk of transport,
and the relevant question what those people would each be willing to pay
for a reduction in their risk, or to avoid an increase in their risk.
Numerous research studies have been conducted during the past few decades
in an attempt to reveal these values. The studies are by no means definitive,
however, producing a wide range of values. The department's assessment for
the Guide to Benefit-Cost Analysis was that the value per fatality avoided
was $1.5 million, in 1991 values, or $1.6 million in 1996 values. Injury
and property damage losses are valued by the department by the losses that
arise, though the estimates have to date been made only for road accidents.
Table 6-9 outlines the average numbers of accidents, fatalities and injuries
for all modes. The figures used in Table 6-10 reflect only the estimated
average cost of property damage resulting from road vehicle accidents. The
relevant total amount of losses in 1996 are derived from the values and
numbers reported in these two tables. It can be seen that the total amounted
to over $15 billion.
1997 Contributions to Transportation Safety
This section provides an overview of transportation safety initiatives
and related expenditures in 1997 by federal and provincial governments.
Provincial information was provided by the government agency responsible
for transportation safety.
Industry and non-governmental organizations have always played a key
role in contributing to the safety of the transportation system. Now that
partnerships between governments and the private sector, along with alternative
service delivery, are becoming more prevalent, the contribution of these
organizations is becoming even more important than it has been in the past.
While this report recognizes the importance of these organizations' roles,
it does not attempt, here, to present the contribution made by industry
and non-governmental organizations to transportation safety.
The following paragraphs give an overview of the federal government's
safety-related initiatives and expenditures undertaken in all modes and
jurisdictions across Canada. These activities have focused primarily on
four areas: safety inspection and monitoring of compliance with safety legislation
and regulations; safety enforcement; public safety-awareness education programs;
and research and development.
Transport Canada's 1997/98 budget for safety and security was in the
order of $230 million. Approximately $178 million of this budget was allocated
to various safety-related initiatives as identified in the following paragraphs.
The other $52 million was allocated for aircraft services and other multimodal
safety-related activities. In addition to Transport Canada's expenditures,
the Department of Fisheries and Oceans allocated approximately $135 million
for activities related to marine safety.
Initiatives related to infrastructure improvements, such as widening
of roads, are excluded in this report. While such initiatives allow for
increased traffic flow and enhance safety, they also pose a difficulty in
allocating costs to one or the other of these two main benefits.
Federal Safety Initiatives
Aviation
Under the Aeronautics Act, the federal government has the lead
responsibility for the safety and security of aerodromes and airports, the
licensing and training of personnel, the airworthiness of aircraft, the
safety and security of commercial air services, and the air navigation system,
including operating and flight rules. During 1997, Transport Canada spent
$93 million on aviation safety.
Four major safety initiatives marked the department's 1997 aviation safety
activities:
- During the conference on Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC),
Canada joined other member countries' efforts to devise systems and infrastructure
that could mitigate the inherent safety risks associated with rapid growth
of air transportation in the Asia-Pacific region.
- The department guided the process leading to the entry into force of
an amendment to the Convention on International Civil Aviation. The amendment
addresses potential liability problems arising from significant increases
in the lease, charter and interchange of aircraft due to globalization
of air transportation services.
- The department introduced new performance-based regulations governing
the Nav Canada's operation of the air navigation system, and monitored,
on a day-to-day basis, compliance with technical standards in the Canadian
Aviation Regulations.
- A joint industry/government task force was established to improve the
safety of air taxi operations (SATOPS).
Marine
Transport Canada has the primary responsibility for the Canada Shipping
Act, and in this regard, it shares responsibility with the Department
of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) for marine safety and environmental protection.
DFO's responsibilities in two areas include pleasure craft, search-and-rescue
operations, environmental protection, and national emergency preparedness.
The department also promotes boating safety to the marine public through
prevention and regulation.
Transport Canada's marine safety expenditures for 1997 totaled $27 million
while DFO expenditures totaled $135 million.
The two departments undertook or completed several major marine safety
initiatives in 1997. A significant undertaking for Transport Canada is the
reform of Canada's maritime shipping law through the two-track modernization
of the Canada Shipping Act.
A major accomplishment was the department's introduction of Port State
Control. This enables Transport Canada to inspect foreign ships entering
Canadian ports, to determine compliance with international maritime conventions
for enhancing the safety of life at sea and protecting the marine environment.
The department also introduced the International Safety Management (or
ISM) Code. The Code, called Safety of Life at Sea, deals with safety and
pollution prevention by marine companies. It covers both vessel and shore-side
operations.
DFO's activities to support the prevention of recreational boating accidents
included national advertising campaigns, courtesy examinations, safety publications,
video and television productions, and extensive regional efforts tailored
to specific client needs.
Rail
Through Transport Canada, the federal government is responsible for the
Railway Safety Act, which authorizes the Minister to govern rail
safety through a regulatory framework that provides railway companies with
greater flexibility to manage their operations safely and efficiently. The
Act also provides for protection of public safety where railways cross highways
and other roads. The federal government is also responsible for the safety
of interprovincial and cross-border railways and specific intraprovincial
rail lines.
In 1997, a considerable portion of the rail safety budget, which totaled
$17.4 million, went to several major federal programs focused on reducing
accidents at railway and highway grade crossings, as well as trespassing
accidents.
One such program, Direction 2006, begun in 1995 and designed to
take place over 10 years, involves co-operation with industry, interest
groups, provinces and municipalities. The program's objective is to reduce
by 50 per cent fatalities that occur at grade crossings or through trespassing.
The program utilizes public-awareness education initiatives, enforcement
of safety regulations, and research on technical improvements.
Another program has introduced regulations for new fencing and railway/road
crossings. The regulations set standards for the safe construction, operation
and maintenance of railway crossings, and will clarify the roles and responsibilities
of both municipal and provincial road authorities, as well as the railway
companies, regarding who must install fences or barriers to prevent trespassing
and to reduce access to railway rights-of-way.
Transport Canada also partners with or contributes to the efforts of
other organizations interested in increasing railway-related safety programs.
For example, the department contributes $200,000 annually to Operation Lifesaver,
a joint education program with the Railway Association of Canada, to promote
public awareness of safety programs and the dangers of railway/road crossings.
In addition, in 1997 the department introduced a comprehensive program
to monitor railway equipment. Moving away from an inspection-based approach,
the new program is expected to improve overall railway safety over the next
five years.
Road
Transport Canada carries out federal responsibility for road safety under
the Motor Vehicle Safety Act by establishing national standards for
the design and construction of motor vehicles and for motor-vehicle emissions.
While the department is also responsible for regulating the safe operation
of extra-provincial carriers, this responsibility is delegated to provinces.
Federal road-safety programs to improve overall road safety are focused
on regulatory compliance, public awareness education, research and accident
investigation.
The Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, which includes
membership from all levels of government and private organizations, co-ordinates
all matters dealing with the administration, regulation and control of drivers
and vehicles.
In 1997, Transport Canada's budget for road safety totaled $16 million.
During the year, the department launched Vision 2001, a major road-safety
program created to help Canada achieve a safety record that will establish
a benchmark for other countries. The program expects to achieve this goal
through six initiatives: raising public awareness on road safety issues;
improving communication, coordination and collaboration among agencies;
promoting seat-belt use; addressing public concerns over air-bag deployment;
developing more efficient enforcement to deal with problem areas (such as
impaired driving, repeat offenders and high-risk drivers); and improving
the collection and quality of data to ensure that road-safety programs are
practical and cost effective.
In addition to its ongoing work and initiatives such as Vision 2001,
Transport Canada's 1997 expenditures included its annual contribution of
$4 million under funding agreements with the provinces and territories to
assist in the implementation of the National Safety Code. The Code is another
joint responsibility for which all levels of government share responsibility
for ensuring the safe operation of commercial vehicles.
Transportation of Dangerous Goods
Transport Canada carries out the federal government's responsibilities
under the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act through compliance
activities, safety promotion, research and development, emergency response
assistance plans, and operation of the Canadian Transport Emergency Centre
(CANUTEC). The Centre provides a 24-hour-a-day information and communication
service as well as advice in emergency situations involving dangerous goods.
In 1997, the department's budget for activities related to the transportation
of dangerous goods totaled $8.9 million.
Two major initiatives took place in 1997. One was the department's revision
of its accident-severity methodology, an indicator of program performance
that ranks the consequence of accidents as they relate to people, property
and the environment. The other initiative was the department's work associated
with providing a "clear language" update of the Transportation
of Dangerous Goods Regulations. The less legalistic language will make the
regulations easier to understand for the truckers and other industry personnel
who use them most.
Security and Emergency Planning
Transport Canada's responsibilities for ensuring that Canada has a secure
transportation system are focused on two main areas. One area involves overseeing
the establishment and operation of alternative policing and security services
following RCMP withdrawal from several international airports. The other
area involves transferring responsibility for airport security screening
equipment from the federal government to the airline industry.
The department's 1997 budget for security and emergency planning totaled
$8.2 million.
On the regulation front, two of the year's major accomplishments were
the department's implementation of marine transportation security regulations
for cruise ships and cruise ship facilities, and its implementation of a
rail security program through a Memorandum of Understanding with the Railway
Association of Canada.
The department also completed the National All-Hazards Plan, which will
ensure relief is able to reach areas stricken by natural disaster.
Another major milestone for 1997 was the establishment, in partnership
with the aviation industry, of the National Transportation Security Awareness
Program.
Research and Development
Transport Canada implements the federal government's responsibility for
managing a multimodal research and development program whose budget totaled
$7.4 million in 1997. The research program supports federal objectives relating
to safety and security, accessibility, energy efficiency, and sustainable
transportation.
The 1997 fiscal year was an especially productive one for the research
program.
The program's research results contribute to the department's overall
effort to increase the safety of the transportation system. Improving standards
and guidelines for safe aircraft operation in winter, such as focusing on
the evaluation of de-icing and anti-icing fluids, is an example of how research
results can be applied to improved safety practices. Similarly, the department's
research work contributes to better rail inspection technology to detect
and replace flawed rails and other safety defects before they cause derailments.
Research on pilot, air traffic controller, truck driver, and marine operator
fatigue and performance under realistic conditions led to improved safety
practices.
Other highlights of the year included research with marine operating
partners to upgrade design standards and regulations for improving safety;
development of Sailsafe, an electronic chart display and information system
designed to facilitate navigation in all weather; determination of the inspection
technology best suited to in-service detection of defects in tank-car insulation;
a program to collect tank-car-yard impact force data under various vehicle
and operating conditions; and research into a number of explosive trace-detection
systems, based on such technologies as lasers, gas chromatography, and ion-mobility
spectrometry.
Provincial/Municipal Transport Safety Initiatives
Rail
Provincial governments are responsible for the safety of intraprovincial
shortline rail transportation. Provincial and municipal governments share
jurisdiction over roadways approaching rail crossings, and the enforcement
of provincial legislation governing driver behaviour.
The provincial and municipal governments focus mainly on those initiatives
that will reduce railway/highway grade crossing and trespassing accidents.
Consequently, these governments, whose annual contribution amounts to $20
million, contribute toward approach roads and improvements to crossing signals
and fencing. Provincial railway safety provisions are consistent with federal
requirements promoting railway safety in Canada.
Road
The provinces are responsible for driver testing, vehicle inspection,
and enforcement of safety regulations to improve road safety in their jurisdictions.
Municipalities are responsible for enforcement of provincial regulations
and for improvement of road infrastructure to ensure safety in their jurisdictions.
The following summaries describe the road safety-related initiatives
and expenditures reported to Transport Canada by provincial governments.
(Municipal government expenditures are not included.) The summaries, however,
are only indicators of provincial activities and should not be used for
making comparisons among provinces or for drawing conclusions about provincial
expenditures. In addition, these summaries do not capture police-agency
efforts to enforce legislation governing the operation of private vehicles.
Transportation of Dangerous Goods
Regulations under the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act are
adopted by provincial, territorial and municipal governments to establish
one common program of safety requirements. Expenditures on safety compliance
measures planned by these governments were not captured in this report.
British Columbia
This province's transportation budget totaled $630 million in 1997. Approximately
$30 million went to such major road-safety initiatives as the consolidation
of its Motor Vehicle Branch and the Road Sense Program of the Insurance
Company of British Columbia. The consolidation will help the province to
plan, develop and deliver traffic safety programs more efficiently, thereby
resulting in a more focused and effective approach to road safety.
Alberta
Alberta's total transportation budget for 1997 was $634 million. Approximately
$34 million, or five per cent of that total, was directed to specific road-safety
initiatives.
Alberta, in conjunction with a number of public and private sector partners,
has been pursuing a five-year major traffic-safety initiative since 1996.
The initiative has three primary goals, all aimed at the vehicle driver:
education, awareness, and enforcement. The program's intent is to make drivers
more conscious of their responsibilities on the road, and to foster reductions
in the number of traffic collisions, both in terms of fatalities and the
number and severity of accidents involving injuries.
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan's transportation budget totaled $170 million in 1997, with
approximately $5 million, or three per cent, spent on specific road-safety
programs.
Saskatchewan conducts its major safety efforts through traffic officers
and investigative personnel located province-wide. Safety initiatives focus
on regulation, safety and compliance.
One of Saskatchewan's major programs is "Agenda 2000: Traffic Safety
in Saskatchewan," a five-year traffic-safety plan to reduce traffic
injuries and fatalities by 25 per cent by the year 2000.
Another initiative called for increased inspection of vehicles for mechanical
defects, with particular attention to be directed to identifying safety
hazards. The province also implemented a joint truck inspection facility
with Alberta, improved the traffic-accident information system, and increased
public education and awareness.
Manitoba
Of a total 1997 budget of $223.7 million, Manitoba allocated approximately
$7 million, or three per cent, to specific road-safety initiatives.
The province's road transportation safety and regulatory activities were
designed to improve the safety performance of drivers and motor vehicles,
commercial trucks and buses.
Initiatives related to drivers involved driver skills improvement and
testing; setting medical standards; licensing; monitoring driver records
on accidents and traffic violations; and monitoring and controlling drivers'
abuse of alcohol and drugs.
Motor vehicle safety improvements focused on vehicle registration and
monitoring vehicle standards.
Safety initiatives for commercial trucks and buses included testing commercial
vehicles, inspecting truck transportation, and monitoring a comprehensive
code of minimum performance standards for the safe operation of commercial
vehicles.
Ontario
Ontario's total transportation budget for 1997 totaled $1.9 billion,
of which approximately $117 million, or six per cent, was applied to specific
road safety initiatives.
There are three key elements in Ontario's road-user safety program: policy,
licensing, and compliance and enforcement of regulations that apply to commercial
carriers. The province undertook three specific initiatives in 1997. It
increased the trucking industry's responsibility for safety compliance,
and provided incentives for safe operation of industry vehicles; it increased
penalties for non-compliance and immediately removed unsafe drivers and
vehicles from the roads; and it made problem road users contribute to the
cost of enforcement, and of education and rehabilitation programs.
Quebec
Quebec allocated its total 1997 road safety budget of $102 million to
various road-safety initiatives.
The province developed a transportation safety program for the road sector
in co-operation with external stakeholders such as police authorities, transportation
associations and municipalities. By the year 2000, this program expects
to reduce the number of road incidents and accidents by approximately 25
per cent. Reaching this goal would reduce the annual number of deaths to
about 750 and the number of serious injuries by close to 5,000.
New Brunswick
This province allocated out of its total road transportation budget a
sum of about $3.8 million to various road-safety initiatives, primarily
in the areas of regulation and compliance measures and safety promotion
activities.
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia's total 1997 transportation budget was $250 million, of which
approximately $3 million was dedicated to improvement of transportation
safety. Safety initiatives related mainly to improvement of highway safety
through implementation of the demerit point system for commercial carriers.
The province also dedicated a portion of the $3 million to improving the
safety of provincial bridges through implementation of a long-term bridge
rehabilitation and replacement program.
Prince Edward Island
With a total transportation budget of $39 million for 1997, Prince Edward
Island earmarked approximately $2.4 million, or six per cent, for various
safety initiatives. The majority of these initiatives related to licensing,
registration, monitoring, inspection and enforcement.
Newfoundland and Labrador
With a 1997 transportation budget totalling $127 million, Newfoundland
and Labrador directed approximately $4 million, or three per cent, to such
safety initiatives as implementation of motor-vehicle road safety improvement
programs and establishment of a safe, efficient and environmentally sustainable
transportation system that includes primary and secondary highways, community
access roads, air services and marine operations.
NOTE
- 1 Lawson, JJ: The Valuation of Transport Safety,
Transport Canada Report TP 10569, Economic Evaluation Branch, May 1989.
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