Road Safety

"An icon of a tree-lined street appears on the left. The text reads: 'Vision: To achieve zero fatalities and serious injuries for all road users in the Halifax Regional Municipality by 2038. Goal: Maintain a downward trend in the rate of fatal and serious injury collisions per 100,000 residents.

Road safety is everyone's responsibility — from the people who design and build the roads, to every person who shares in using the roads, whether walking, rolling, cycling, or driving.

Approved by Regional Council in July 2024, the Road Safety Strategy (2024) describes the Halifax Regional Municipality’s approach to eliminating traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries by 2038. The Strategy is the second guiding document produced for the Halifax Regional Municipality’s Road Safety Program, succeeding the Strategic Road Safety Framework (2018).

Ongoing safety initiatives

Learn more about our ongoing safety initiatives:

Policies, Guidelines & Standards

Traffic Management and Road Safety Policies (2026) outlines how the Halifax Regional Municipality manages traffic operations, safety programs, and roadway design decisions.

Key areas covered include:

  • Speed management and neighbourhood speed limits
  • Traffic calming measures
  • Crosswalk and pedestrian safety treatments
  • Traffic signals and intersection control
  • Signage standards 
  • Parking and curbside management

[link to PDF: Traffic Management and Road Safety Policies (2026)]

Safe practices on the road 

  • Follow traffic regulations.
  • Be mindful of other road users.
  • Drivers must obey the speed limit. 
  • Vehicle occupants should always wear a seat belt.
  • Avoid distractions. Whether you're walking, rolling, cycling, or driving, distractions put all road users at risk.
  • Drivers must yield to pedestrians at intersections. Crosswalks exist on all legs of an intersection, whether marked or unmarked.
  • Never drive impaired. Always plan ahead. Have a designated driver, take public transportation or stay over. If you see an impaired driver, call 911.
  • You must stop whenever you approach a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing, regardless of whether you are behind the bus or approaching it from the front.
  • Reduce your speed when entering a school zone. Follow the school zone speed limit anytime children are present, not just during school hours.
  • When cycling, consider wearing bright colors and using bike lights to be more easily visible to other road users. Motorists should always do a triple check for cyclists when turning, especially when turning right.
  • Keep an eye out for transit drivers signaling to merge back into traffic. Vehicles are required to yield to transit vehicles signaling to merge into traffic.

How we track and report

The Road Safety Dashboard shows some of the road safety features installed throughout the Municipality, as well as a summary of annual collision data from 2018 to present day. Collision details are also available on the Open Data Catalogue.

Reports
Road Safety Steering Committee Meeting Minutes