Improving road safety on Nova Scotia’s highways is a priority of the Department of Transportation and Public Works. The department’s highways division manages more than 23,000 kilometres of roads, maintains 4,100 bridges and operates seven provincial ferries.

According to national traffic collision statistics, Nova Scotia has one of the safest driving records in the country. The province has the third lowest rate of injuries, and rate of fatalities compared to other provincial and territorial roads. The data is reported in the 2005 Canadian Motor Vehicle Traffic Collision Statistics publication.

Angus MacIsaac, Minister of Transportation and Public Works, says that although road safety is improving, we must continue to work to improve safety on our roads and highways. Now that summer holidays are here and there are more travellers on the roads, Nova Scotia motorists are reminded to follow the speed limits and drive safely. A number of initiatives are in place to encourage safety on Nova Scotia’s roads and highways during the summer months.

Operation Road Safety is an initiative of Nova Scotia's Road Safety Advisory Committee and police agencies. The program involves road checkpoints around the province, in an effort to convince drivers to obey speed limits and drive defensively. The checkpoints create awareness about various road safety issues for drivers, motorcyclists and bicyclists. For more information on this program, see the news release at http://www.gov.ns.ca/news/details.asp?id=20040630002 .

Another project to encourage safe driving is the department’s Work Zone Safety Campaign. The Nova Scotia Department of Transportation and Public Works and the Nova Scotia Road Builders Association have launched a public education campaign to ask motorists to slow down in construction zones. Check out our video and radio ads by clicking here for video and radio.

For those visiting the province this summer, the department’s website lists areas where road construction is taking place. To find out which areas are currently affected by road construction, click here: http://www.gov.ns.ca/tran/highwayops/roadconstruction.asp .

Helpful information for visitors can also be found at http://www.gov.ns.ca/tran/travelling.asp . The site contains links to maps and resorts, and other helpful information for tourists.

Also for visitors to our province, the department’s website provides information about highway and road signs in Nova Scotia. The different kinds of signs you see on Nova Scotia's roads and highways each have a specific purpose. Visitors can learn about Nova Scotia’s highway signs at http://www.gov.ns.ca/tran/highwayops/sign.asp .

Our Road Safety Tip Sheet at http://www.gov.ns.ca/tran/highwayops/tipsheet.asp provides helpful information for motorists about paying attention to the road and keeping focused behind the wheel.

Safety on Nova Scotia’s roads and highways is a top priority for the Department of Transportation and Public Works. Nova Scotia is working with police, industry, and other organizations to reach benchmarks set by Road Safety Vision 2010, a national plan that aims to reduce the number of road users killed and seriously injured by 2010. The province's Road Safety Advisory Committee assists government in developing road safety priorities and programs.

Enjoy the summer and travel safely!

Routine Access Policy of the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal. Some files on this Web site require the free Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader for viewing. Comments and/or questions about this Web site. This page and all contents are copyright ©2007, Province of Nova Scotia, all rights reserved. Last modified on: 05-06-02 10:18:19 AM

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