CANADA ROAD SAFETY WEEK 2017 INFORMATION TOOL KIT Thank you for being involved in Canada Road Safety Week. With your participation, we can spread the word about this special week and why it is an important initiative. Canada Road Safety Week will take place from May 16 th 22 nd, 2017 including the National Enforcement Day for impaired driving on Saturday May 20 th. It is an enforcementdriven initiative designed to increase public compliance and awareness with safe driving measures and ultimately, to save lives. Part of the activities will involve targeted enforcement in the areas of impaired driving; either by alcohol and/or drugs, occupant restraint use, and all aspects related to aggressive and distracted driving. The other part is an education campaign to address the importance of safe driver behaviour. We also want to raise the public's awareness of Canada s Road Safety Strategy (RSS) 2025 which is Towards Zero in making Canada's roads the safest in the world. This kit is being sent out to partners across the country in conjunction with the campaign. It contains information to help you answer inquiries and to manage media interest that you can help us generate before and during Canada Road Safety Week. Please familiarize yourself with this material. Get in touch with your local media a couple of days before the start of Canada Road Safety Week. Invite them to a check stop site or send them a news release about what your community is planning to mark this special week locally. Another vital aspect of Canada Road Safety Week is the gathering of statistics. After completion of Canada Road Safety Week, we will be asking that you email your results so that we can record the results from all police services across the country. This year, as requested from members of the CACP Traffic Committee, the form for reporting will be sent directly to the Chiefs of Police of each agency asking to report their statistics. The form for reporting is attached to the package and should be e-mailed to TrafficSafetyPrograms@torontopolice.on.ca. This, we hope, will ensure that all agencies are reporting consistently so that we can make valid comparisons and can track our progress toward Canada s Road Safety Strategy 2025. We would ask that you e-mail all enforcement activities no later than Tuesday May, 30th, 2017. Your continued participation and support are key to making this annual campaign a success. Superintendent Gord Jones, Toronto Police Service Chair Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police Traffic Committee
WHAT S IN THE KIT? Media Advisory Template To be used to invite the media to an event during Canada Road Safety Week. We suggest you reproduce this on your own police agency letterhead. News Release Template The release is a sample that is meant to be generic enough for any police agency to use. To be used to inform the media about Canada Road Safety Week and what, if anything, your agency is doing during the week. We suggest you reproduce this on your own police agency letterhead. Background Information Includes questions (and answers) that you may get asked about Canada Road Safety Week. Fact Sheet Facts about seat belt and child restraint use and impaired driving We suggest you provide a fact sheet with local statistics on intersection and speeding violations if desired. OTHER PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES Canada Road Safety Week posters A printable PDF version of the poster is also available on the members-only area of the CACP website for police services to print additional copies as required.
Media Advisory Template (reproduce on your agency's letterhead) <DATE> Canada Road Safety Week In recognition of Canada Road Safety Week, May 16-22, 2017, <NAME OF ORGANIZATION> invites the media to attend <DESCRIPTION OF EVENT>. This event will take place on <DATE>, at <TIME> at <LOCATION OF MEDIA EVENT>, with the participation of <NAME OF ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED>. < SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS, WITH TITLES> will be in attendance. INCLUDE ANY SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS HERE. For further information please contact <NAME>, <TITLE>, <PHONE NUMBER> < EMAIL ADDRESS>
NEWS RELEASE TEMPLATE (reproduce on your agency's letterhead) <DATE> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SAVING LIVES DURING CANADA ROAD SAFETY WEEK May 16-22, 2017 will mark Canada Road Safety Week, a national campaign aimed at making Canada's roads the safest in the world. This campaign is a police initiative designed to remind people that an essential part of the enforcement component is to save lives and reduce injuries on our roadways. Educating the public about safe driving practices is a priority. The focus will be on behaviours that put drivers, passengers, pedestrians and other vulnerable road users most at risk. These are impaired driving; either by alcohol and/or drugs, occupant restraint use, and all aspects related to aggressive and distracted driving. All enforcement agencies across the country have been invited to participate. "The deaths, pain and broken hearts that result from carelessness behind the wheel can be prevented," says <NAME OF YOUR AGENCY'S TOP PERSON>. "Police agencies across the country are collaborating on this initiative and asking you to choose safe behaviours while travelling on our roadways, whether you are driving or a passenger. It is incumbent upon the police and the public to work together to ensure that Canada s roadways are the safest in the world. Here in <COMMUNITY NAME>, there have been <NUMBER> deaths and <NUMBER> serious injuries over the last <NUMBER> years related to vehicle collisions. These are just numbers but these preventable deaths and injuries have a lifelong impact on many individuals and families in our communities. In support of Canada Road Safety Week, <AGENCY NAME>. is <DESCRIBE LOCAL PROJECT, IF APPLICABLE, OTHERWISE DELETE SENTENCE>. Canada Road Safety Week is sponsored by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) and Transport Canada and is part of Canada s Road Safety Strategy 2025, which has a goal of making Canada's roads the safest in the world by 2025. "Dedicated to improving public safety on our roadways." -30- For further information please contact: <NAME>,<TITLE> <PHONE NUMBER> <EMAIL ADDRESS>
BACKGROUND INFORMATION What is Canada Road Safety Week? It is a special initiative to focus on safe driving practices, and is timed in conjunction with the week leading up to and including the Victoria Day holiday weekend, when the traveling public will be out in great numbers. The 2017 dates are May 16-22. It is a coordinated effort between police agencies across the country to work toward the goal of Road Safety Strategy (RSS) 2025 - making Canada's roads the safest in the world. It is a time to remind all road users across Canada to consciously consider safety at all times. Buckle seat belts and ensure youngsters are properly restrained in vehicles according to their age and size. Refrain from drinking and/or using drugs and driving. Pay attention to the road at all times and refrain from aggressive driving and distracted driving behaviours. Who was involved in coordinating this week? The project was developed by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police as part of its focus on road safety. The participation of community partners and citizens across Canada is essential to achieve success. What issues are most important during Canada Road Safety Week? Don't drink and/or use drugs and drive. Ever. Use seat belts and child restraints every time you travel in a car, no matter how short the trip. Pay attention at all times, refrain from the use of mobile hand held devices, other distractions and/or aggressive or high risk driving behaviours which may lead to a collision. These issues are important every day of the year, not just during this special initiative.
What is Road Safety Strategy (RSS) 2025? Road Safety Strategy (RSS) 2025 is Canada s fourth national road safety strategy. The vision for Road Safety Strategy 2025 is Towards Zero: Having the safest roads in the world. This towards zero approach is coupled with Canada s long standing goal of Having the safest roads in the world. It is based on an international best practice first adopted by Sweden in 1997, where Vision Zero was approved by their parliament and has permeated their approach to transportation ever since. This highly effective and innovative approach by Sweden has resulted in one of the lowest traffic-related fatality rates world-wide and its proven track record has resulted in other countries and municipal governments initiating similar approaches. The Towards Zero vision is not a target to be achieved by a certain date but rather it is aspirational in nature. This vision will continue beyond the RSS 2025 s timelines and highlights the desire for the best road safety outcomes for all Canadian jurisdictions, provincial, territorial or municipal. The following strategic objectives form the cornerstone of RSS 2025 and focus on safer road users, road infrastructure and vehicles: Raising public awareness and commitment to road safety, Improving communication, cooperation and collaboration among stakeholders, Enhancing legislation and enforcement, Improving road safety information in support of research and evaluation, Improving the safety of vehicles and road infrastructure, and Leveraging technology and innovation. More information about Canada s Road Safety Strategy 2025 is available at www.ccmta.ca. What is the Canada Road Safety Week education campaign? A printable PDF version of the poster is also available on the members-only area of the CACP website for police services to print additional copies as required. Contact local media outlets to encourage them to cover this important campaign.
KEY MESSAGES FOR CANADA ROAD SAFETY WEEK Canada Road Safety Week is an enforcement-driven initiative designed to increase public compliance with safe driving measures and ultimately, to save lives. The program involves enforcement that focuses on behaviours that put drivers, passengers, pedestrians and other vulnerable road users most at risk. These are impaired driving; either by alcohol and/or drugs, occupant restraint use, and all aspects related to aggressive and distracted driving behaviours. It is also an education campaign to address the importance of safe driver behaviour. The timing of Canada Road Safety Week during the week leading up to and including the Victoria Day holiday weekend is strategic, as more people are traveling and traffic crashes are more frequent. This year, Canada Road Safety Week takes place from May 16-22, 2017. Includes the National Enforcement Day for impaired driving on Saturday May 20th All enforcement agencies across the country are invited to participate. Police vehicles may be stationed at key locations to remind people that safe driving habits save lives and reduce injuries on our roadways. Participating law enforcement agencies gather statistics with a common template to allow valid comparisons and to track progress toward Canada s Road Safety Strategy (RSS) 2025. Canada Road Safety Week is part of Canada s Road Safety Strategy (RSS) 2025, which has a goal of making Canada's roads the safest in the world. Canada Road Safety Week is sponsored by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) and Transport Canada. All road users across Canada are reminded to consciously consider safety at all times. Buckle seat belts and ensure youngsters are properly restrained in vehicles according to their age, size and weight. Refrain from drinking and/or using drugs and driving. Pay attention to the road at all times. Refrain from aggressive and distracted driving behaviours. Canada s Road Safety Strategy (RSS) 2025 is a national effort to retain the long-term vision that Canada will have the safest roads in the world. Specific aims are raising public awareness and commitment to road safety, improving communication, cooperation and collaboration among all stakeholders, enhancing enforcement, and improving road safety information in support of research and evaluation. More information about Canada's Road Safety Strategy (RSS) 2025 is available at www.ccmta.ca.