Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise in the House today to inform Members that effective October 1, 2008, penalties under the NWT Motor Vehicles Act have changed. Fines for speeding in school and construction zones, along with fines for driving without proper insurance and without an authorized driver’s licence, have all increased.
Increasing the fines in the school and construction zones will help protect the safety of children and workers and others who use the highways. Driving at slower speeds provides for a greater driver reaction time. High penalties will be combined with increased enforcement to reduce the risk of our children and road workers being injured by speed.
Mr. Speaker, when someone decides to drive without insurance, the consequences apply not only to them but to other highway users. With the current fine of $500 people may decide to take the risk of driving without insurance, as the penalty is much less expensive than the cost of buying insurance. Increasing the fine from $500 to $1,700 will be an incentive to purchase insurance and will ensure that everyone is adequately insured and protected.
A number of drivers choose to drive without a valid driver’s licence or during periods when they have been suspended from driving. Driving a motor vehicle is a privilege that is only authorized while holding a valid driver’s licence. Increasing the fine of $100 to $300 will be a greater deterrence to this unacceptable behaviour.
The department has discussed these changes with law enforcement, the insurance industry, school authorities and the construction association. Everyone is enthusiastic and supportive of the fine amendments, indicating that the stricter penalties will go a long way to improve the safety of our highway system and reduce the number of preventable collisions in the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, after a number of years of steady progress in reducing the number of collisions in the NWT, in 2007 the number of collisions spiked. There was a total of 738 collisions reported in 2007, 12.7 per cent more than in 2006. The number of collisions was also higher than the ten year average. Five people lost their lives in five separate collisions. Two of the five fatalities were linked to being under the influence of alcohol. The other three fatalities occurred when a driver lost control of the vehicle. Many of these collisions could have been prevented through safer choices.
Not only did the number of collisions increase in 2007 but the number of injuries as a result of these collisions also rose. We all know that wearing seat belts and properly installing and using infant car seats saves lives. The severity of injuries is lower for collision victims using seat belts. Only 8 per cent of those wearing seat belts were injured. On the other hand, 37 per cent of those not wearing seat belts were injured, some fatally. Safety devices such as seat belts or car seats can help prevent the potential fatal consequences of a collision.
Most injuries and fatalities from collisions are preventable. The department has launched Drive Alive!, a partnership-based safety and public awareness initiative aimed at reducing the number of collisions by raising public awareness about the choices people can make to keep themselves safer.
Mr. Speaker, I’ll use this opportunity to reinforce some of the key messages of Drive Alive!. First,
Reduce speed, and drive according to road conditions and signage;
Prepare for the unexpected; and
Maintain and use safety equipment, particularly seat belts.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to invite Members of this Assembly and the public to take a look at the 2007 Collision Facts Report posted on the Department of Transportation’s website. I hope that as a result of the increased fines and the Drive Alive! safety education program safer choices will be made by all motorists so that in 2008 I will have more positive news to report.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
