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Road Safety Agenda

Our Road Safety Agenda

The overwhelming majority of deaths and injuries on our roads are preventable.

TIRF has worked to improve road safety for all Canadians by generating and sharing knowledge on current and emerging issues and trends that affect road safety. This includes sharing research evidence to inform decisions and action by government, business and industry, traffic safety agencies, and non-profit organizations around the world in the areas of legislation, program and policy development, enforcement, education, and training.

Did you know?

One in six teenage fatalities (15-19 years old) result from road crashes. (Sources: Transport Canada; Statistics Canada)

Road crashes are the 3rd leading cause of accidental death in Canada and the 2nd leading cause of accidental death for Canadians under age 40. (Source: Statistics Canada)

Road crashes claim nearly 1,900 lives and injure 140,000 people in Canada every year. (Source: Transport Canada)

Road crashes represent a very significant cost for society at CAD 40.7 billion or 2.1% of GDP in 2018, and the personal toll is immeasurable. (Source: IRTAD)

After more than five decades, TIRF’s vision and commitment are stronger than ever. With a proven, sustained dedication to improving road safety, TIRF can help.

Measure the problem

A majority of road crashes are caused by driver error or condition. Through its research, TIRF is improving understanding about why drivers behave as they do in order to create more effective interventions to promote safe driving behaviours.

Develop and implement solutions

Programs and policies aimed at improving road safety must address the underlying causes of road crashes. TIRF’s research is the foundation to develop evidence-based programs and policies, as well as sound legislation targeting young drivers, impaired drivers, fatigued drivers, distracted drivers and commercial vehicle drivers, as well as other road safety concerns.

Evaluation

In an era of declining resources, investment is needed in strategies that have proven results. TIRF’s work to evaluate a broad spectrum of road safety policies and programs helps governments and other stakeholders identify effective solutions.

Knowledge transfer

Making progress requires shared knowledge and understanding of policies and programs, and coordinated efforts across all sectors to improve road safety. TIRF has developed a “systems” approach to bridge gaps and build partnerships among agencies and practitioners that are affected by road crashes. Knowledge transfer and skill development are critical features of these initiatives.

TIRF takes action on four fronts:

These have been the pillars of TIRF’s work since it was established as a national, independent road safety research institute in 1963. TIRF’s skills and expertise are designed to meet the key challenges related to road safety in the next decade, and beyond.

TIRF’s research & educational tools support the work of communities across Canada.

Your donations & our work enable them to spend less time looking for answers & more time developing & implementing road safety strategies.