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At the beginning of the Power of Youth in Creating Safe Mobility panel at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), Dr. Linda Rothman poses an important question: “What makes a healthy city?”
Often, when people talk about road safety, they think about the cars on the road. But safe travel, especially in a densely populated city like Toronto, is more complicated.
At the panel discussion hosted by Parachute and Desjardins, there was a serious consideration of what road safety actually looks like — especially for young people.
During his keynote speech, Guy Cormier, President and CEO of Desjardins Group, stressed the importance of sharing the road — and that it’s our collective responsibility to keep everyone safe.
“There’s an important element of cooperation on the road — a shared responsibility… As individuals, cyclists, pedestrians, riders, you have a relationship with others on the road.”
Changing attitudes on the road
In a recent 2024 Annual Survey, Desjardins asked Canadians what would motivate them to change their driving habits. Shockingly, being in a collision ranked as a higher motivator (37 per cent), whereas the influence of fines or rewards has declined since 2022.
Canadians, for the most part, are also in denial about their aggressive driving habits — only 6 per cent identify as aggressive drivers, yet over a third confess to exhibiting at least one form of aggressive driving behaviour.
As the largest financial cooperative and leading insurance in Canada, Desjardins has been focused on the economic and social wellbeing of people and their communities for nearly 125 years.
“When we talk with [communities] about road safety and insurance, they look at insurance as only being responsive. That’s true, but we also want to mitigate risk. So, yes, we respond to collision claims, but what we really want to do is prevent them in the first place,” said Cormier.
Making commuting safer
Following the keynote speech was a panel discussion between the President and CEO of Parachute, Pamela Fuselli; Executive Vice-President, Property & Casualty Insurance at Desjardins Group, Valérie Lavoie; and Co-Director of TransForm Research Laboratory at TMU, Dr. Raktim Mitra.
When asked about what youth’s involvement in road safety means to her, Fuselli speaks to the innovation and creativity that young people bring to solving these challenges.
“Things are changing all the time, and we need to keep up to speed on that. And I think the youth and young people in our environments have a better handle on those changes and how it impacts them and their community.”
For over 15 years, Desjardins has been putting in the hard work to change public perceptions and actions about road safety. From education and education campaigns to partnerships with non-profits like Parachute, creating change and helping to save lives has always been the goal.
Engaging with young people
Dr. Mitra spoke to the lack of young people reflected in Toronto street design.
His research with StudentMoveTO shows that one-third of all students going to a GTHA university have more than two hours of commuting every day, and a quarter of GO bus ridership is made up of post-secondary students. Yet GO bus schedules are still designed for those with nine-to-five schedules, which doesn’t apply to students.
“Young people rely on public transportation, walking, and biking for their everyday trips. For them, to make roads safer, those choices should be made available to them so they can get to the places they need to go safely.”
Brandon Mahoney, Co-Chair of Parachute’s Canadian Youth Road Safety Council and panel moderator, agrees, noting that his commute to TMU takes two hours from Caledon — and requires three different transportation methods.
This is why engagement is so important, adds Fuselli. “While data helps, we need to engage [young people] to better understand their experiences. Real-world experience is an essential component.”
“We often engage with young people,” says Lavoie, while adding “I am always impressed by their ability to think long-term about what is important to them, in particular, how the changes they make can better impact the future. I look at those sitting here and the youth that actively engage in road safety initiatives and commend them for their efforts.”
Collaboration for a safer future
Change comes slowly, and in Fuselli’s experience, human behaviour is a tough thing to change. But, she is hopeful that cooperation between people will lead to safer cities.
“No one of us is going to solve this issue alone. So I would say, no matter where you’re coming from, take a look at where [changes] can be focused.”
Dr. Mitra highlights that speed is often the priority when we think about roads, causing streets to prioritize cars.
“If we switch our focus from this desire for speed to other things like safety, everything changes.”
Lavoie’s vision for a safer future includes community solutions accessible to all Canadians. Young people and other vulnerable road users need to have input on future designs and should have a defining influence on the conversation. Influence could come from being vocal about personal values and choosing businesses that align with their personal values on safety.
Whether you’re a driver, pedestrian, or cyclist; student or working commuter, we all need to embrace and adapt to our surroundings and be aware of how we impact our road environment. A safer future for everyone means we need to plan our roads in a holistic manner where everyone has a role to play.
