Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
[English translation not provided.]
Mr. Speaker, we all know the terrible effects of transportation accidents. This is why we continue to enhance the Drive Alive! Transportation safety program — to ensure the public has the information to make good choices when they travel in the NWT.
I am very passionate about this issue. We are particularly committed to our young people’s safety, as we all want them to grow into strong, healthy adults who can contribute to the northern way of life. Today I want to share some of the ways we are helping to increase the safety of young people, especially when they travel.
It has been proven that our children are very vulnerable when drivers do not pay full attention when driving in school zones. Although we have lower speed limits in school zones, some drivers fail to reduce their speed and place our children at risk. Changes to the Motor Vehicles Act regulations will double the fines for offences in school zones and construction zones. We are following the lead of a number of other jurisdictions that have found that increasing fines further assists in reducing speed in these critical zones.
We recently had a writing contest asking young people to share ways they and their families can reduce the risk of accidents and injuries when travelling. The winning entries are now posted on the Department of Transportation Web site youth page. I’m very impressed with the quality of these essays. Clearly, they gave a lot of thought to this important issue, and it demonstrates the quality of our young people and their teachers.
Nikita Larter from Thomas Simpson School said, “If you are traveling with two or more people, you are not only trying to keep yourself safe, but everyone else.”
Nadine Menacho from Chief Albert Wright School said, “On the road, we can wear our seatbelts, and babies should be in a car seat.... On the water, we can wear our life jackets.... On trails, we can wear our helmets.... When we do all of these things, we can make it safer for us.”
These are some of the worthy suggestions, and I hope people will listen to the wisdom of our young people.
One area of concern this summer is the safety of young people on bicycles. Sometimes our children do not drive as well as they should, and I encourage drivers to pay extra attention to kids on bikes. I’m very pleased to tell Members that as a result of a very generous contribution from BHP Billiton, 500 bicycle helmets will soon be available to young bicyclists across the territory. Drive Alive! is working with the Department of Health and Social Services to distribute these helmets across the Northwest Territories, and I want to acknowledge my colleague the Minister of Health and Social Services for the valuable assistance her department is providing.
This summer preschool and young school-aged children, along with their parents, will have an opportunity to learn more about transportation safety through a children’s activity book promoting safe choices. Each Member will receive copies of this book for distribution in their constituencies.
I encourage the Members and the public to keep an eye on the Department of Transportation Web site for important safety messages and to drive alive. Mahsi.