Traffic related deaths in Ontario were up in 2015 compared to the previous year, and driving associations and organizations are taking notice. With car safety at an all-time high, it is clear that Ontario’s accidents are down to a lack of driver competence. The Canadian Automobile Association is a fantastic place to start for some basics on saying safe on the roads around North Bay and the province as whole.
The nationwide association has plenty of in-depth information on several aspects of road safety. Of course, aside from potentially saving your life and avoiding injury, staying safe on the roads as definite financial benefits for North Bay residents.
Auto insurance providers punish high risk drivers (those with traffic infractions, history of DUI, or lack of insurance coverage) by hitting them with high premiums, far above the already astronomical Ontarian average.
Conversely, drivers who obey the laws of the road and stay safe by not being involved in at-fault accidents will see their premiums fall each time they renew a policy.
Distracted driving is a major concern and the CAA says drivers should avoid using electronic devices (which is illegal anyway) and should also do other distracting tasks like eating/drinking, preparing music, or adjusting mirrors before they get into the vehicle to start a journey.
Impaired driving through drinking or drugs is a major killer on Ontarian roads, with thousands injured and killed each year in DUI related incidents. It is worth remembering that even not being involved in a collision is not excuse enough, impaired driving can have serious consequences including huge fines, a revoked license, and almost certainly higher auto insurance rates.
The CAA has partnered with Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) to create a toolkit for road safety campaigns. It contains information, tips, and research to help communities design effective campaigns.
“The Toolkit contains a series of issue-specific fact sheets related to campaign effectiveness, stakeholder engagement, campaign development, messaging, branding, social media and evaluation. In addition, it also contains TIRF’s full report released previously about road safety campaign research, and two different styles of a pedestrian campaign developed by Safer Roads Ottawa using this approach. It also includes an issue-specific fact sheet on pedestrian safety, and key facts about alcohol-impaired driving and young drivers which can also be selected as campaign topics.”