New name, new focus, for Canadian Youth Road Safety Week

October 20 to 26, 2024


TORONTO, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The former National Teen Driver Safety Week is now Canadian Youth Road Safety Week, to better reflect our focus on all youth from ages 15 to 24 and all road users, not just drivers.

This year’s awareness campaign runs Oct. 20 to 26, supported by our long-time partner Desjardins Insurance and welcoming our new partner the Honda Canada Foundation. A recent design graduate is creating campaign videos, in consultation with the 10-member Canadian Youth Road Safety Council facilitated by Parachute, that will show fairy tale characters facing challenges to safe mobility and how their wishes for safer roads can come true through the power of youth participation or with the support of youth changemakers. The campaign will run using the hashtags #CRYSW2024 and #OurFutureRoads.

We're also inviting youth in Canada to join our Snap For Change initiative, where they will submit photos and develop creative solutions to safe mobility challenges in their own community. Read more about Snap for Change and submit your entry. Entries can be submitted starting October 20, at the launch of Canadian Youth Road Safety Week, and the first 50 accepted entries will be awarded a gift card honorarium.

“Empowering youth ages 15 to 24 to become more involved in road safety issues and to create and support road systems in our communities that are safe and equitable are our goals,” says Pamela Fuselli, President and CEO of Parachute, Canada’s national charity dedicated to injury prevention. “Because of this, we’ve shifted our awareness week focus to encompass all youth road users, including drivers, passengers, pedestrians, cyclists and transit users. This better aligns with our evolving understanding of road safety as including driver behaviour but encompassing the broader Safe System Approach that underpins our Vision Zero commitment to end deaths on our roads.”

“Honda Canada Foundation believes in Safety for Everyone, and striving for a collision-free society is one of our most monumental dreams yet,” said Ryan Kelly, Chair of the Honda Canada Foundation. “But we believe it is achievable in large part through the important work within our communities. Our partnership with Parachute Canada and support for Canadian Youth Road Safety Week will play a key role in bringing this vision to reality. We look forward to working together with Parachute and empowering youth across Canada to share our visions in promoting road safety, making our communities safer for all Canadians.”

Read more about Canadian Youth Road Safety Week

Read more about why we have moved from National Teen Driver Safety Week to Canadian Youth Road Safety Week in this article, What’s in a name? Plenty!

Contact and to request media interviews:

Kelley Teahen, Vice President, Communications & Marketing, Parachute
416 886-0950 (mobile)
media@parachute.ca

About Parachute

Parachute is Canada’s national charity dedicated to reducing the devastating impact of preventable injuries. Injury is the No. 1 killer of Canadians aged 1 to 44 and the financial toll is staggering, with injury costing the Canadian economy $29.4 billion a year. Through education and advocacy, Parachute is working to save lives and create a Canada free of serious injuries. For more information, visit us at parachute.ca and follow us on FacebookInstagram, X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn

About Honda Canada Foundation

 Established in 2005, Honda Canada Foundation (HCF) aims to enable the realization of dreams through various annual philanthropic activities and funding to non-profit registered charities across Canada where Honda customers and associates live, work and play. HCF focuses on five key pillars – Education, Environment, Mobility, Traffic Safety and Community, and endeavors to donate more than $2 million each year to groups in need. More than 6.5 million Canadians have benefited from Honda Canada and Honda Canada Foundation funded charitable programs. For more information, please visit www.hondacanadafoundation.ca.