HAMILTON, ON – May 13, 2009 – This morning, the City of Hamilton, Hamilton Police Service and several other partner agencies marked a very significant milestone in their combined effort to improve road safety in Hamilton.
Between 2003 and 2007, the City of Hamilton experienced over 17,000 traffic collisions which cost Hamilton citizens an estimated $2.3 billion dollars. That’s why City officials and the Hamilton Police Services Board have endorsed the development and implementation of a Strategic Road Safety Program.
To reinforce the collaborative commitment to the program, representatives from 10 key organizations signed a Program Charter this morning, agreeing to support and promote the goals and actions of the Strategic Road Safety Program. The Program has set an aggressive goal of reducing 10 per cent of the number of traffic crashes over the next three years.
“The agencies involved in addressing traffic safety in Hamilton have been active and diligent, but there is much more yet to do,” said Hart Solomon, Manager of Traffic Engineering and Operations with the City of Hamilton. “This new program will help us to be more effective.”
Signing the Program Charter on behalf of member organizations were:
- Chief Brian Mullan, Hamilton Police Service
- Bryan Shynal, Public Works Department, City of Hamilton
- Teresa Bendo, Hamilton Public Health Services
- Jackie Bajus, Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board
- Ken Bain, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board
- Chief Jim Kay, Hamilton Emergency Services
- Andrew Beal, Ministry of Transportation
- Brent Kinnaird, Hamilton Safe Communities Coalition
- Lorraine Meloche, Hamilton Seniors Advisory Committee
- Tyler Leach, Student Secondary School Leadership Committee
“The average number of persons killed in traffic collisions in Hamilton each year is 20, “said Hamilton Police Chief Brian Mullan. “This is completely unacceptable so we are here today to demonstrate our collaborative commitment to taking even more aggressive action on this important issue”.
Assisting in the Charter signing was Darryl Bowles. On March 1, 2008, Darryl’s father was killed as a result of a collision on our roads. He is the founder of the Families Fighting Careless Driving Web site and is helping other families cope with this kind of tragic loss. His group is also trying to change the laws for careless driving.
Signing this Program Charter is a formal first step in this program launch. The three primary emphasis areas that the Strategic Road Safety Program will focus on, based on traffic collision statistics, are: aggressive driving, intersections and vulnerable road users. A branding and social awareness campaign will also be launched in the coming weeks and months to heighten awareness in the community about the need to change driving behaviour.
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Media Contact:
Hart Solomon
Manager, Traffic Engineering & Operations
City of Hamilton
905-546-2424, Ext. 4584