To help Canada achieve its road safety goals, Desjardins Group is investing $3.2 million into initiatives spearheaded by Canada’s leading non-profits.
Through the investment, the insurer will work closely with the non-profit groups Parachute, Traffic Injury Research Foundation, and Arrive Alive to increase safety awareness, educate, and develop solutions to help save lives and prevent injury.
"This investment of $3.2 million is the largest commitment we have made towards road safety. It is a concrete example of how Desjardins is directly supporting the wellbeing of its members, clients and communities," said Desjardins Group president and CEO Guy Cormier. "We are proud to partner with these great organizations to support the Decade of Action for Road Safety."
The Decade of Action for Road Safety is an initiative jointly launched by the UN and WHO, which sets a target of preventing at least 50% of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030. The WHO had estimated that about 1.3 million people die worldwide each year from road crashes, while millions more suffer from non-fatal injuries.
"We must act to keep Canadians safe on our roads; this investment is a testament to our commitment to supporting drivers and creating safer communities,” said Desjardins General Insurance Group president and chief operating officer Valérie Lavoie. “We need to do everything we can to work with road users to adopt safer habits if we want to see real change on our roads. Because one injury, one death, is one too many.”
According to data from Transport Canada, the economic burden of collision-related injuries and deaths in Canada is more than $3.6 billion a year.
