HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1977-03-23, Page 15:r
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19 6 fatalities lowest in 12 years
Citizens News, March 23, 1977
Page 15
Seat belt usage lowers highway deaths
Ontario's traffic -related 1976
fatalities dropped to the lowest
level recorded since 1964, ac-
cording to figures released this
week by Minister of Tran-
sportation and Communications
James Snow.
In all, 1,511 people, including
251 pedestrians, died in motor
vehicle -related accidents last
year -- a reduction of 16.1 per cent
over the 1975 total of 1,800.
Traffic -related injuries were
were down 13.7 per cent from
97,034 in 1975 to 83,762.
"Although the total number of
accidents in the province
decreased only 0.8 per cent from
213,689 in 1975 to 211,922 in 1976,
there was a very substantial
drop in the number of drivers and
passengers killed in those ac-
cidents," the minister pointed
out.
"Specifically, among drivers
and passengers, there were 204
fewer fatalities and 12,298 fewer
injuries.
"The only reading I can get
from such statistics is that the
seat belt legislation enacted on
January 1, 1976, coupled with
lower speed limits, is working,"
said Snow.
"Tragically," added Snow, "it
is also obvious that there would
have been fewer fatalities and
fewer injuries if everybody had
been using seat belts.
"I have been told that our latest
counts indicate that far too many
motorists are not taking ad-
vantage of some very inex-
pensive insurance against death
and injury -- seat belts."
Statistically, 69,207 drivers and
passengers were injured through
1976 against 81,505 in 1975; and
1,110 were killed against 1,314 in
1975.
"And where seat belt use and
non seat belt use statistics were
available, we found that a belted
driver's survival chances in a
collision are 10 times higher than
an unbelted driver's," said Snow.
"Among 61,221 unbelted
drivers involved in accidents, 355
died; while among 269,772 belted
drivers involved in collisions,
only 153 received fatal injuries,"
Despite the fact 251 pedestrians
were killed during '76, this
represented a decline of 14.6 per
cent against 1975 when 294 died.
There was also a 19.6 per cent
drop in motorcycle driver
fatalities -- 78 in 1976 and 97 the
previous year. Injuries to motor
cycle passengers were down
from 16 to 10.
On July 1 of last -year, it
became mandatory for all
motorcyclists to operate with
their front and rear lights on at
all times, day or night.
"Hopefully, this will enable
motorists and truckers to be
more aware that motorcyclists
are entitled to their share of
Ontario's highways," said Snow.
"Then we should see a further
drop this year."
Bicyclist fatalities were also
lower -- 47 in 1976 as against 56 in
'75, despite a large increase in the
number of cyclists.
"We can do better," concluded
Snow. "But every motorist, every
trucker, every person using
Ontario streets, roads and high-
ways should be congratulated for
the significant improvement in
1976."
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