A new group hopes to reduced the number and cost of injury-related deaths in Alberta.

Approximately 1,700 people die of injuries in Alberta annually, and the cost of injuries to the health-care system is about $3 billion, according to Injury Alberta, an initiative by public health graduate students at the University of Alberta.

People are dying unneccessarily, Injury Alberta spokesman Dr. Louis Francescutti says. Courtesy University of AlbertaAlbertans need to change the way they think about injury-related deaths, Injury Alberta spokesman Dr. Louis Francescutti told CBC News.

"We've accepted these deaths and we think it's part of life and it's not," Francescutti said. "These people do not have to die.

"If we can't solve this problem how the hell are we going to solve cancer, diabetes, mental illness — the real difficult issues. This is simple. If you can't do the simple stuff how are you going to handle the really complicated stuff."

'Alberta is the most dangerous place to live work and play in Canada, full stop.'— Dr. Bill Sevcik, emergency room physician

Dr. Bill Sevcik, an emergency room physician at the University of Alberta and Stollery Hospitals, says it's past time to look at reducing injuries.

"Every day I'm amazed at the severity of injuries that we see at the University and the Stollery — also the sheer volume — and I ask myself why and I think the answer's simple: It's because Alberta is the most dangerous place to live work and play in Canada, full stop."

Sevcik and Francescutti agree that Alberta's seatbelt law, drinking-driving laws and the new distracted-driver legislation are strong, though enforcement needs to be improved.

By 2015 the group hopes to prevent 480 injury-related deaths each year at an estimated saving of $700 million in health-care costs. The organization is working to raise $50 million for an endowment fund for injury-reduction research and programming.