Did You Know?

In 1995, the U.S. Congress removed the maximum speed limit. From April to December 1996, states who raised their speed limits saw a 12 per cent increase in fatalities on interstates and freeways and a six per cent increase on all roads.
Insurance Institute for Traffic Safety, Status Report, Vol 32, No. 8, October 11, 1997

Canadians travelled an average of 17,000 kilometres per capita in 1995. About 94 per cent of that was by private vehicle and only six per cent by public transport.
Transport Canada, Transportation in Canada 1996 Annual Report

About one in five elderly Quebecers take a medication for anxiety or insomnia that can put them at risk behind the wheel. Montreal researchers found a significantly higher rate of motor vehicle crashes among drivers taking benzodiazepine. Side effects include drowsiness, confusion and impaired motor function, according to the study.
Montreal Gazette, July 2, 1997

Impaired driving continues to be the single most frequently occurring offence in Canada, accounting for 13 per cent of all criminal charges.
Juristat, Vol. 17, No. 1: A Study of Nine Canadian Jurisdictions: 1993 & 1994

Statistics for 1994 show that 5.4 per cent of Canadians (mostly men) are heavy/frequent drinkers, down from 6.7 per cent in 1989. Nearly one in five of former and current drinkers have had trouble with drinking during their lives, including such areas as personal relationships, physical health, and/or finances.
Canada's Alcohol and Other Drugs Survey 1994: A Discussion of the Findings. Publications, Health Canada, tel. (613) 954-5995, fax: (613) 941-5366.

According to the World Health Organization, traffic deaths will soon be the world's third leading cause of death, after strokes and heart disease. Half a million people are killed every year and 15 million injured. In 1990, motor vehicle collisions were only the ninth leading cause of death worldwide.
The Toronto Star, December 13, 1997

The number of hospitalizations from firearm injuries has gone down 25 per cent since the early 1980s - from 1,505 in 1981-82 to 1,125 in 1993-94. The rate (per 100,000 population) dropped 35 per cent - from 6.0 to 3.9. The most significant decrease was in accidental injuries - from 877 in 1981-82 to 481 in 1993-94, a drop of 45 per cent. Firearm deaths showed a similar drop. In 1995 firearms took 1,125 lives in Canada, of which over 80 per cent were suicides.
Firearm Statistics (updated tables) November 1997, Research and Statistics Division, Department of Justice

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