The Youth Committee for Road Safety in Canada has just launched their new website: www.youthroadsafety.ca. The CRSYC are supporters and founding members of YOURS since the beginning. We would like to congratulate the team for their great work and boundless energy in making the Canadians roads safe, keep it up!
Background of the Canadian Road Safety Youth Committee (CRSYC)
After returning to Canada following the World Youth Assembly, several of the delegates formed the Canadian Road Safety Youth Committee. The CRYSC has worked to recruit other young Canadians, and now has representation from many regions of the country. The CRSYC has four main goals: awareness, advocacy, networking, and promotion of the UN Declaration. To meet these goals, the CRSYC has developed a three year strategic plan.
Since 2007, the CRSYC has held a seat on the Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals (CARSP) board of directors and is an associate member of the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA). Committee members also sit on the Global Road Safety Committee and will be working with CCMTA on the development of Road Safety Vision 2020, Canada’s national road safety strategy. In addition, the planning committee for the Canadian Multidisciplinary Road Safety Conference includes a member of CRSYC, which has been the case since the committee’s inception. They have strong support from Transport Canada, CARSP, and CCMTA.
In November 2008, the CRSYC held its first major awareness raising event in conjunction with Canada’s first Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. In addition to participating on the planning committee, the CRYSC held a national contest entitled “Rock the Hill for Road Safety” in reference to Parliament Hill where the national government is convened. The contest asked young Canadians to submit a response to the question “Road safety… what’s it to you?” The winner attended the Day of Remembrance events in the nation’s capital and presented her winning entry to those in attendance.
In March 2009 The Canadian Road Safety Youth Committee formally accepted the invitation to join the Taskforce that helped determine the strategy and activities of YOURS.
Mr Duane Ironstand, chair of CRSYC: “In light of the progress Canada has made in raising awareness, creating a network, and giving a youth voice to public policy, we feel that we are well positioned to make a significant contribution to YOURS – Youth for Road Safety. We look forward to our continued involvement with the international road safety community”
For more information you can contact Duane at: Chair@youthroadsafety.ca.