Did you know?

Since automobiles were invented, 30 million people have been killed in motor vehicle collisions worldwide according to Britain=s Guardian newspaper. This is roughly the population of Canada. Globe and Mail, February 18, 1999

According to a University of Toronto study led by Dr. Stephen Halman, child passengers aged 5 to14, restrained by seat belts designed for adults, appear to receive the same protection as adults. The effects of lap belts (usually found only in the rear seat) and lap-shoulder belts (found in most front seats and many rear seats) are about the same. Unbelted children, regardless of where in the vehicle they sit, have a much greater risk of injury or death. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 1999 Annual Meeting Scientific Program

The murder rate in Canada dropped to a 30-year low in 1997, with 581 homicides reported. Guns continued to be the weapon most frequently used (33.2 per cent of homicides). People who work in gas stations, stores and bars were most likely to be murdered on the job. Homicide Survey, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, October 1998

Horse riding is becoming a very popular sport in British Columbia. From 1991 to 1996, BC hospitals admitted 1,950 riders, 20 per cent with head injuries. Of the 15 rider fatalities, 60 per cent involved head injuries. This highlights the need to wear properly fitted, approved helmets with proper fixation devices. Injury Prevention Stakeholder=s News, Winter 1998, BC Ministry of Health, Office for Injury Prevention, Preventive Health Branch.

Trains account for fewer emissions into the air than other forms of transport. Trucks create seven times more carbon monoxide than trains and twice as much hydrocarbons per litre of fuel burned. Railways can move a ton of freight an average of 375 miles per gallon of diesel fuel consumed. Interchange, September 1998, The Railway Association of Canada

Canada=s National Highway System consists of 25,000 km of highways; about 30 per cent of travel takes place on this system. According to the latest update, this system has deteriorated by about 30 per cent since 1998. Although some $11 billion has been invested in the network since 1988 and annual expenditures on the system are twice what they were 10 years ago, the estimated cost of all repairs and upgrades now stands at $17.4 billion. The National Highway Sytem: Condition and Investment Needs Update 1997, Transportation Association of Canada

Higher speed limits introduced in 24 US states in late 1995 and 1996 have resulted in increased motor vehicle deaths in 1997. Fatalities increased by about 15 per cent on interstates and freeways in states where speed limits were raised but did not increase at all on those where the limits remained the same. Status Report, Vol. 34, No. 1, January 16, 1999, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

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