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NLIS 3 December 2, 2005 (Transportation and Works) New highway signs encourage seatbelt usage A new highway sign campaign to encourage people in this province to buckle up was launched today in an attempt to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries resulting from people not wearing their seatbelts. The project is an initiative of the Newfoundland and Labrador Safety Council, in partnership with the RCMP and the provincial departments of Transportation and Works and Government Services. The new Buckle Up: A Law for Life sign was unveiled at a news conference at Confederation Building in St. John�s this morning. "Reducing the number of fatalities in this province from people not buckling up won�t just happen. Everyone has a part to play in putting safety first and obeying the rules of the road," said Marliese Janes, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Safety Council. "We want to urge people to not become a statistic and to buckle up and drive defensively." The sign delivers a clear straight-forward message that drivers will immediately understand without being distracted. A section on each sign displays the fatality count for the year, with these numbers being updated regularly by the RCMP. According to the RCMP, 12 of the 32 people killed on our highways so far this year died as a result of not wearing their seatbelt. In 2004, RCMP report that 10 of the 29 fatalities were related to not wearing seatbelts. "It�s very disturbing to see that the number of deaths related to not buckling up is going up and not down," said Transportation and Works Minister Trevor Taylor. "Wearing a seatbelt has been mandatory in this province since 1982, yet people are still making a conscious decision to not wear one. We hope that this constant reminder on the roadside encourages more people to be safe and buckle up." The Department of Transportation and Works will construct and install the signs. Next week, four signs will be erected along the Trans-Canada Highway at Port aux Basques, Springdale, Clarenville and the Pitts Memorial Drive Overpass. More will be erected across the province in the spring. RCMP traffic services are dedicated to improving public safety on our roadways. Assistant Commissioner Gerry Lynch said: "We are pleased to welcome this latest educational message as another tool to reach our goal of having safer roadways. Seatbelts are the simplest most available tool in our cars that will help keep us safe in the event of a collision or crash." The Department of Government Services is responsible for the legislation governing seatbelt usage. Between April 2004 and March 2005, 1,267 people were convicted for not wearing their seatbelt. "As a department and as a government, we are committed to encouraging people to buckle up when they are in a vehicle," said Government Services Minister Dianne Whalen. "In 2004, we increased penalties for drivers or passengers not wearing seatbelts to between $100 and $500 and a loss of two demerit points for drivers. However, we know that fines and penalties are not enough, making education and awareness very important. We are proud to be a partner of the Buckle up: A Law for Life highway sign campaign. We hope that these signs will remind those people who do not normally use their seatbelts that buckling up can save their lives." Media contact: Tracy Barron, Transportation and
Works, (709) 729-3015, 691-3577 2005 12 02 11:10 a.m. |
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