The Honorable David M. Collenette

摘要

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.rnIt gives me great pleasure to be here at the 16th Enhanced Safety of Vehicles Conference today. I'd like to begin by welcoming everyone to Canada and, more specifically, to Windsor. I hope you will have time to visit the area before you leave to return home.rnWe at Transport Canada consider the ESV conferences an invaluable opportunity for researchers and for industry and government representatives to share recent advances in motor vehicle safety technology. By promoting co-operation in research and the international harmonization of safety regulations, conferences like these play a major role in improving the safety of road transportation in Canada and indeed throughout the world. That's important for everyone.rnIn Canada, we have witnessed a 50 per cent decline in, traffic fatalities over the past 25 years, even though traffic has doubled. The figures for 1997 are the lowest since these statistics began to be compiled.