TORONTO, June 17 2008 – Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) has been formally recognized by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation as one of this year’s recipients of its 2007 Road Safety Achievement Awards.
The Honourable Jim Bradley, Minister of Transportation, presented IBC with a 2007 Road Safety Achievement Award in the category of “Corporate Leadership in Road Safety”.
IBC won the award for spearheading extensive road safety programs in the areas of: Driver Distraction, Drinking and Driving (through Operation Red Nose) and Driver Fatigue. These consumer education efforts continue full tilt this summer, with IBC’s famous driver distraction simulator, the D.U.M.B. Car (Distractions Undermining Motorist Behaviour), currently traveling the province to about 50 communities as part of IBC’s Drive to Survive tour.
IBC President & CEO Mark Yakabuski said, “It is an honour to win this award, and it is an honour to be working hand in hand with concerned and committed safety stakeholders towards the common goal of making Ontario’s roads among the safest in the world.”
“Ontario’s roads are among the safest in North America. This is something we could not achieve alone. Our safety award recipients and nominees exemplify the day-to-day work of getting Ontarians to buckle up, drive soberly and think responsibly when out on our roads and waterways,” said Transportation Minister Jim Bradley.
The Road Safety Achievement Awards were established in 1996 by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, honouring outstanding achievements and commitment to excellence by individuals, police agencies, public health organizations, corporate partners and community groups.
Other recipients included: Sgt. David Mitchell, creator of E.R.A.S.E (Eliminate Racing Activity on Streets Everywhere); volunteer Chantal Reynolds, for her work on the Let’s Remember Adam school bus safety initiative; Regional Niagara Road Safety Committee, Think and Drive Campaign; Manan Gupta, publisher and editor of Road Today magazine; and York Regional Police Service for the Safe Roads…Your Call program.
Insurance Bureau of Canada is the national industry association representing Canada’s private home, car and business insurers. Its member companies represent nearly 95% of the property and casualty (P&C) insurance market in Canada. The P&C insurance industry employs over 104,000 Canadians, pays more than $6 billion in taxes to the federal and provincial governments, and has a total premium base of $35 billion.
For more information about IBC, please visit www.ibc.ca.