Safer Drivers = Safer Roads

“It is a relief that Premier Ford was unharmed in the accident on the 401 in Pickering involving a reckless 18-year-old novice driver from Oshawa. This serves as a powerful reminder of the need to prioritize road safety.

Given the statistics, the past two years have been some of the deadliest with tragic and preventable loss of life due to vehicle collisions. In addition to death and injury, these accidents cause higher auto-insurance rates, unwanted congestion, lost productivity, and significant costs associated with emergency response from police, fire, paramedics, and hospital emergency rooms.

While Brampton has made historic investments in speed bumps, ASE cameras, road diets, and other traffic calming measures, we do not issue driver’s licenses. The provincial government is responsible for protecting the public by restricting the privilege of driving to those who demonstrate that they have the necessary knowledge, skills, and experience to drive safely.

This is what my Safer Drivers = Safer Roads motion is about. The province must act on the City of Brampton-endorsed recommendations outlined in the motion to deal with unsafe, unqualified, and fraudulent drivers and instructors. We need to understand what action, if any, the provincial government has taken over the past year to ensure drivers have sufficient training and skill to drive safely on our roads. If the province is going to prioritize investments to accommodate more drivers, they must also ensure those drivers know how to drive. Too many lives are at stake every time someone gets behind the wheel.”