SMARTRISK has entered in the Aviva Community Fund competition an idea to train 250 new No Regrets schools in 2010. You can help us make it happen. The 25 ideas with the most votes will make it to the semi-finals and have a chance to share in the $500,000 fund.

A new report by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation evaluating graduated driver licensing programs in North America has produced some expected results – and maybe a few surprises. For example, Canadian 19-year-old drivers are much more likely to die in a car crash than their U.S. counterparts.

SMARTRISK’s youth programs now have their own website, where students, teachers, parents, sponsors and anyone else interested in youth injury can find what they need online. No Regrets students can download activities and events to organize in their schools, parents can get advice on talking to teens about risk and interested visitors can find out about SMARTRISK’s philosophy.

Injury costs Canadians $19.8 billion annually – more than $600 for each man, woman and child in the country, according to a new report released by SMARTRISK today, The Economic Burden of Injury in Canada. In fact, injury – from falls, traffic, drowning, suicide, violence and other means – remains the leading cause of death for Canadians aged one to 44, taking the lives of 13,667 people in 2004.

New research suggests chatting on a cellphone while driving may not be as dangerous as some have suggested – but that texting while driving is highly risky as it takes drivers’ eyes from the road for long periods of time. The researchers warn widespread texting has the potential to create a crash epidemic and should be banned.

SMARTRISK is pleased to announce that Edward (Ned) Levitt is the new Chairman of our Board of Directors. Mr. Levitt brings to the Board an accomplished career as one of Canada’s leading franchise lawyers. He is also a widely published author and sought after speaker. In addition, Mr. Levitt brings to SMARTRISK his experience as a parent tragically affected by injury.

The spring 2009 edition of the SMARTRISK No Regrets newsletter is out. In this issue, you’ll find articles on the VideoFest contest winner; the new No Regrets website and an updated SMARTRISK Heroes; a personal story from a youth leader on the challenges of getting No Regrets off the ground in her school; and activity highlights from across Canada.

The winter 2009 issue of the SMARTRISK No Regrets newsletter is out. Features include: highlights of training sessions that stretched from Yukon through Ontario and Nova Scotia; a new activity idea based on turning lemons into cherries; details on the annual Videofest; and a feature on reducing the risk of injury during running.

On average, each week over 40 people visit an Ontario emergency department for injuries from snowmobiling. Teen males have the highest number of emergency department visits and males in their early 30s are most often admitted to hospital for snowmobiling injuries. Learn more about snowmobiling injuries in the December issue of the Ontario Injury Compass.

Every day, 2,000 children and teenagers from around the world die from an unintentional injury, according to a groundbreaking new report from the World Health Organization and UNICEF, released Dec. 10, 2008. The report describes the top five unintentional injuries and recommends action.