Whereas injuries and deaths on BC roads have untold impacts on thousands of BC lives every year, strain local government first responder resources, and result in more than 500 million in direct health care costs in British Columbia every year; And whereas the Provinces BC Road Safety Strategy has referenced a Vision Zero approach to road safety starting with the belief that no loss of life on our roads is acceptable and implementing a collaborative Safe System Approach to road safety relying proactive data collection and sharing as the globally recognized path to achieving Vision Zero: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the Province to advance its commitment to Vision Zero and further support local government partners through: 1. expansion of the Vision Zero Road Safety Grant program by providing additional funding to introduce a third funding stream with a cap higher than the current 20,000 limit to fund more ambitious local government and First Nation community road safety initiatives; and 2. undertaking a comprehensive review of data collected by provincial ministries and agencies in relation to motor vehicle injury and death incidents and develop strategies for proactive data sharing between those agencies and local governments to inform local road safety improvements.
