Nova Scotia Remembers Road Crash Victims

The government is asking Nova Scotians to pause for a moment on Wednesday, Nov. 19, to remember those killed or seriously injured in road crashes.

As part of the National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims that is being recognized across Canada, there will be a commemorative ceremony in front of the Bridgewater Police Station, 45 Exhibition Dr., at 10 a.m.

"Too many families are impacted by road crashes resulting in death or injury every year," said Geoff MacLellan, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal. "Distracted driving, impaired driving, speeding, and not wearing a seatbelt continue to be the main contributing factors in most road fatalities."

Between 2009 and 2013, 369 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in Nova Scotia -- nearly 74 people each year. So far in 2014 there have been 48 fatalities on Nova Scotia roads.

"I encourage all Nova Scotians to think about their personal driving habits," said John Collyer, Bridgewater chief of police. "The day of remembrance is an opportunity to rethink how you drive and make a commitment to driving more cautiously in the future."

In recent years, the province has introduced several measures to improve road safety such as increased penalties for distracted driving, improvements to the graduated driver's licence program, installing shoulder and centre-line rumble strips on many 100 series highways, and increasing the number of road safety signs, and social media campaigns.