Minister's Message

I am pleased to present Ontario's Road Safety Annual Report for 2006.

Ontario is a leader in road safety. In 2006 Ontario’s roads were the safest in North America, based on a comparison of fatality rates for all jurisdictions across the continent.

Other highlights from 2006 include:

• Ontario’s fatality rate continues to be the lowest ever recorded in Ontario - 0.87 per 10,000 licensed drivers.
• Fatalities among drivers aged 65 and over fell 10.9 per cent between 2005 and 2006.
• Motorcycle fatalities dropped 28.4 per cent below 2005 levels.

The report also highlights some of our accomplishments of 2006: Ontario’s “One person, one seatbelt” law, for example, requires every occupant in a vehicle to buckle up and makes drivers responsible for ensuring children under 16 are properly secured. By alerting drivers to the importance of seatbelt and child safety seat use, this law has left a lasting legacy that is and will continue to be a real life-saver.

Making roads safer takes effective laws, tough sanctions, visible enforcement and public education. Ontario’s safe roads are the result of a collaborative effort with municipalities, police services, the public health sector, road safety organizations and community groups from across the province. Of course, safer roads takes good drivers – the millions of Ontarians who are out there every day, leading by example.

More than just a report card, ORSAR shows us where work needs to be done. Collisions continue to claim lives every day and we are always looking for new approaches and strong partnerships to help us achieve our goal of having even safer roads. As you read through this report, you will see this aim demonstrated on every page.

Yours sincerely,

Jim Bradley
Minister of Transportation