HALIFAX, N.S. – Last year was the safest yet for driving on Nova Scotia’s highways and roads, according to fatality statistics compiled by the province.

There were fewer people killed and fewer fatal collisions than in the previous five years.

“It’s the kind of trend we hope will continue,” said acting Transportation and Public Works Minister Ernest Fage. “While there are still too many fatalities, it appears drivers are learning that safety is the number one priority while you’re on the road.”

Seventy-one people died on provincial roads last year, compared to 88 in 2002 and 97 in 1999 (one of the worst years in recent memory). The difference between last year and 1999 makes for a 27 per cent decrease overall.

The reduction of fatalities since 1973 has been even more dramatic. In 1973, there were 277 fatalities on Nova Scotia roads.

Nova Scotia is an active participant in Transport Canada’s Road Safety Vision 2010, a project that aims to decrease by 30 per cent the number of road users killed and seriously injured across Canada by 2010.

Fage also noted that a decrease in highway collisions and serious injuries might help stabilize insurance rates for consumers in the future.