Government Services
May 12, 2008

Newfoundland and Labrador is hosting the annual meeting of the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, or CCMTA, this week. This is an important meeting which draws over 300 delegates representing federal, provincial and territorial government officials, representatives from the American Association of Motor Transport Administrators and industry partners.

CCMTA is a not-for-profit organization engaged in the coordination of highway safety initiatives and policies as well as harmonization of legislation pertaining to driver licensing, vehicle registration and movement of commercial vehicles throughout North America. One of the initiatives of CCMTA is Road Safety Vision 2010, a national road safety plan, which aims to make Canada�s roads the safest in the world. The objective of this plan is to achieve a 30 per cent reduction in highway deaths and serious injuries by 2010.

I am pleased that this province has been an active participant of CCMTA and Road Safety Vision 2010 for many years and that we are the host province for this important conference.

This year�s theme for the CCMTA annual meeting is "Road Safety: Our Vision/Our Leadership". This theme ties in the principles of Road Safety Vision 2010 as it demonstrates that road safety vision is our collective vision and it urgently requires our collective leadership in order to meet the ambitious targets we have set for 2010.

The CCMTA annual meeting is an important week-long conference that will bring significant tourism and related revenue into the province and offers us the opportunity to showcase our beautiful province and culture.

In addition, Canada Road Safety Week, which runs from May 12 to the 19, is always launched to coincide with the CCMTA annual meeting. This morning I joined the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, the RCMP and the President of CCMTA, who is Newfoundland and Labrador�s Registrar of Motor Registration, to launch this week. Canada Road Safety Week is an opportunity for us to promote safe driving practices. All too often we hear about tragedies on our roads. They are often called accidents but most are preventable. The loss of life and quality of living is enormous, and all of us - government, police agencies and our citizens - need to work together to reduce these collisions which can change lives forever.

With the help of our safety partners, it is my sincerest hope that the message is heard - that safety on our highways must come first and all drivers play a part in ensuring that happens. The CCMTA conference and Canada Road Safety Week certainly highlights this important message.

2008 05 12                                                      1:50 p.m.