Road Safety

Motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of unintentional injuries among First Nations and Inuit populations. First Nations people suffer deaths and hospitalizations due to motor vehicle collisions at two to four times the national average.

First Nations men are at a higher risk than women for motor vehicle-related injuries and death. Among First Nations males, 273 per 100,000 suffer injuries severe enough to require medical attention.

Motor vehicle-related injuries include those sustained as a pedestrian, bicyclist, motorcyclist, passenger or driver of a motor vehicle. A motor vehicle can be a car, truck, snowmobile, boat or all terrain vehicle (ATV). Collisions may involve other cars or objects, such as trees or wildlife. Lack of helmet and seat belt use, or the use of alcohol are important risk factors for such injuries.

All Terrain Vehicles and Snowmobile Safety

All terrain vehicles (ATVs) and snowmobiles are considered risky vehicles because they can roll over easily due to their high centre of gravity.

Snowmobiles may also present risks because of their use on unsafe ice conditions, their lesser ability to change direction quickly and their low visibility on public roads.

Safety information is available from Transport Canada and the Canadian Paediatric Society.

For the general public:

• Safe Snowmobiling; and
• Youth Zone: All Terrain Vehicles and Snowmobiles.

For community leaders:

• Recommendations for Snowmobile Safety; and
• Preventing Injuries From All-Terrain Vehicles.

Car Seats and Seat Belts

The safest place for children in the car is the back seat.

As children grow, the seats they use need to be changed to help better protect them in a collision.

Seat belts help protect adults and children after they have grown out of their booster seat. Be a role model for children and wear your seatbelt too!

For more information on car seat safety, see:

• Is Your Child Safe?- Car Seats;
• Safe Transport;
• Car Time Stage 1,2,3,4 ; and
• Child Passenger Safety.

Cycling Safety

Riding a bicycle is a great activity to do with family and friends and is an excellent form of exercise. To stay safe while cycling, it is important to ride a properly maintained bike and always wearing a bicycle helmet that fits correctly and meets current safety standards.

For information on cycling safety, see:

Help on accessing alternative formats, such as Portable Document Format (PDF), Microsoft Word and PowerPoint (PPT) files, can be obtained in the alternate format help section.

• Cycling;
• Bicycle Helmet Checklist (PDF Version);
• Bike Helmets;
• Ride Safe;
• Ride Safe: Overview of Injuries;
• Ride Safe: Frequently Asked Questions; and
• Bicycle Safety.

Pedestrian Safety

According to Safe Kids Canada, children ages 5 to 9 are at the highest risk for pedestrian injury. It is the leading cause of death in this age group.

For more information on pedestrian safety, see:

• Pedestrians;
• Road Safety: Pedestrians;
• Walking Safe; and
• Pedestrian Safety.

Safe Winter Driving

Driving in the winter is very different from driving in other seasons, due to the change in climate and road conditions. Extra precaution and planning is needed to ensure a safe trip.

For more information, visit :

• Transport Canada's Safe Driving Tips; and
• Winter Safety. Advice on Ice.

More Information on Road Safety:

Some of the hyperlinks provided are to sites of organizations or other entities that are not subject to the  Official Languages Act. The material found there is therefore in the language(s) used by the sites in question.

• Injury Prevention Fact Sheets - Motor Vehicle Crashes (PDF version);
• Healing Our Spirit see Motor Vehicle Crash Fact Sheet (PDF version);
• Injuries (see tips for preventing injury);
• Sports Injuries;
• Motor Vehicle Collisions (PDF version);
• Unintentional and Intentional Injury Profile for Aboriginal People in Canada, 1990-1999 (see motor vehicle accidents); and
• Safe Driving Tips.