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WHMTY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31,1990, PAGE 17 Insurance companies launch maj or road safety initiativ by J il Mcl ntosh Plates. with personality The lady with -the schoolmarm look was scowling at my truck 'Tour license plate is epelled wrong," she sniffed. The license plate on my Studebaker pickup reada Wrsbit. When I was a taxi driver years ago, I gave my pet rabbit té a dispatcher, who sftarted calling me. 'my favorite rabbit7 on the air. My friends picked up on it, and ,it s been my nickname ever But ýwhen ÏItried te gt iton a pesnalized plate, it was taken. Sm-y husand ,suggested WABIT, which he had seen on a record album. -The ilent "W" w9uld màke the plate pound (I thought it was obvious, but a lot of Pele sti pronounce the W: Wuh-Rbbit. I say to them, do you go into the supermarket and ask for Saran Wuh-Rap?) In any cae , my schoolmarm wa vr upSet that -I was twistn the _engih language in such a hribeway. I explained that I -could not get the poe selgand had settled for t«S usalone. "Weou#" she said, "if you couldn't get the rightone, youshoudhave asked for PR-A-B-B-I-Tý" Whoever originally came up with the idea for personaized plates - the cnes where you pick a combination of lettars or numbers and the ministry makes SEE PAGE 18 Canada's property and casualty insurers are launchig a major public awarenesa and education prograrn aimed at the growing problem of traffic safeéty. The latest Transport Canada statisties, released last week, show that road crashes continue te be one of Canada's most sigmi- ficant social and economic pro- bleme. In 1989, 4,221 0o 1l were killed and another 2cf iuued Jack Lyndon, president of the Insurence Bureau of Canada, the major association representing privýate auto insurance com- paie, says that 'TMe epidemic on our roads continues, and yet the public seems largely un- aware of either the stagering proportions of thejroblem or the possible solutions. To adress this issue, IBC ia launching a major communica- tions prograxn over the next two months te inform people about the scope of the problem and look at wayi te improve driving beha. T'he visible component of the program will be a national tele- vision and radio advertisin*g cam- pajç,ve used a drii tip for- mat' designedte remind aeI dri- vers that they share the problem and cen halp solve it by ixnprov- ig tier own drivmng,» Lyndon ays. Other activities include spon- iorship of an international sym- posium te look at probleme atnd iolutions for young and novice arivers; working with police forces te provide educationâl sup- port for enforcment campaigna; lobbying government and other key players i the road safety area for change in legislation and policies, and other educational activities designed .te -build media and.public awareness of road safety issues. "fihe pubtlic in concerned that car mesurance premiums are in- crasng One of the major rea- sosfrthis is the continuing increase ini both the number and severity of the crashes.'f we ail work toreduc oad crashe%, coite will come down and we'll be better able to control insurance premliums. IBC reports that ini 1989 the cost of settling auto insurance dlaims resulting from crashes totalled more tha 5 billon,- up from 4.5 billon in 1988. IBC is no newcomer to th£ road safety world. Over the past three decades the Bureau's road safety initiatives have included research activities, conferences public-education campaigne anâ resource back-up"to community groupe. In-July this year IBC released the restilta of a jor research study 'New to*the Boad,' outlin- ing tiU higher .-collision .rates experiened-by both young and novice drivers, and ebvaluating the effectiveness of various coun- termeasures. An international symouium in slated *to be held in lilfx in February 1991 te, explore this issue in detail ana prepare recommendations for corrective action. Tho Isuzu Trooper Il 10.0/ fianing Plus specilally pnced demos. 12 uS t. E. a q 0.0 va j.tiu