NEW BRUNSWICK – Sixty-four people were killed on roads policed by the RCMP last year. It's the highest number of fatalities since 2010, when 80 were killed.
These numbers were released last week in the RCMP’s annual report for 2016, Working Together for a Safer New Brunswick. The report reflects the RCMP's commitment to keep the public informed of the work being done in the communities served by the RCMP. Highlights from the report include initiatives to prevent and solve property crime, an emphasis on connecting with communities, and the work the RCMP does to help make New Brunswick roads safer.
In 2016, the RCMP in New Brunswick responded to 58 fatal collisions, which resulted in the loss of 64 lives. This compares to 2015, when the RCMP responded to 50 fatal collisions with 51 fatalities. In 2014, RCMP responded to 41 fatal collisions, with 51 fatalities.
Of those killed in 2016, 17 were in crashes involving impaired driving and 20 died as a result of not wearing their seatbelt.
"Every death on our roads is a tragedy and the RCMP is committed to reducing the number of serious and fatal collisions on our highways," says Cpl. Jullie Rogers-Marsh, media relations officer for the RCMP in New Brunswick.
"We regularly conduct highway patrols and enforcement campaigns but we can't be everywhere all the time. We ask the public to do what they can do reduce the risk of serious and fatal collisions by always wearing a seatbelt, slowing down and never driving while distracted or impaired."
The report is available on the RCMP website at http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/rcmp-new-brunswick-annual-report-2016.
