The Ultimate List of Canada Driving Statistics for 2024

• In Canada in 2020, there were 1,042,718 kilometres of public roads – longer than a round trip to the Moon. Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and Alberta accounted for over 75% of the total road length. (StatsCan Plus, October 2022; Transport Canada, 2019)
• Canada’s National Highway System (NHS) includes 38,098 lane-kilometres of roadway. 72.8% of the roads are classified as “core” routes, 11.7% are classified as “feeder” routes, and 15.5% are classified as “Northern and remote” routes. (Transport Canada, 2017)
• In Canada in 2022, there were about 26.3 million registered road motor vehicles. 91.7% of these were light-duty vehicles, a category of vehicles whose gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) does not exceed 4,535 kg. This category includes passenger cars, multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs), pickup trucks, and vans. 2.6% of registered motor vehicles were medium-duty vehicles, with a GVWR of 4,536 to 11,793 kg. 2.3% were heavy-duty vehicles (excluding buses), with a GVWR of 11,794 kg or more. 0.3% were buses, a category that includes school buses, coach buses, transit buses, and minibuses. Finally, 3.2% were motorcycles and mopeds. (Statistics Canada, November 2023)
• According to the 2021 Census of Population, of Canada’s approximately 13,048,500 commuters:
  • 10,106,600 (77.5%) commuted by car, truck or van as the driver
  • 844,200 (6.5%) commuted by car, truck or van as a passenger
  • 1,811,900 (13.9%) commuted by sustainable transportation, including 1,000,500 (7.7%) by public transit and 811,400 (6.2%) by active transportation (walking or cycling)
  • 285,800 (2.2%) commuted by some other method

Some commuters employed more than one form of transportation. 87.4% of those who commuted by car, truck or van were the driver and only worker in the vehicle. (Statistics Canada, November 2022; Statistics Canada, June 2023) According to the official census figures, from 1996 through 2016, the share of commuters who commuted by car, truck or van declined slightly, from 80.1% in 1996 to 79.5% in 2016. The share of commuters who commuted by public transit rose from 10.5% in 1996 to 12.4% in 2016. However, in 2021, the share of commuters who commuted by public transit declined sharply to 7.7%, accompanied by a corresponding rise in commuters by car, truck or van to 84.0%, reversing the prior trends. See the following chart. In the chart, “vehicle” means “car, truck or van”; motorcycles are included in “Other method.” “Active transportation” includes walking and bicycling.


• In 2021, the distribution of licensed drivers by gender and age was as follows: (Transport Canada, April 2023)

• A large survey of 42,000 Canadians aged 65 and older in 2019–2020 found that 82.0% of seniors aged 65 years and older held a valid driver’s licence, representing an estimated 5.27 million licensed drivers. 50.6% of seniors aged 85 years and older held a valid driver’s licence, representing an estimated 358,000 licensed drivers. (See the following chart for a breakdown by gender.) 76.2% of seniors aged 85 and older reported only mild or no impairment of the basic activities of daily living; only 10% reported severe or total impairment. However, 58.1% of seniors in this age group reported that their homes had adaptations to help them better cope with the activities of daily home life. (Statistics Canada, April 2022)

• According to a survey of Canadian senior drivers in 2009, most male drivers in their eighties continued driving regularly. See the following chart. (Statistics Canada, 2012)

• According to a survey of Canadian senior drivers in 2009, about 20% of Canadian drivers aged 65 and over who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or some form of dementia had driven a vehicle in the month preceding the survey. However, only 10% of Canadian seniors with an advanced form of their disease had a driver’s licence. (Statistics Canada, 2012)
• In Canada, as of 2022, there were about 719,238 registered electric vehicles (EVs), a category of motor vehicles that includes battery electric vehicles (BEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). HEVs have a gasoline engine, which keeps the batteries charged. PHEVs have a gasoline engine too, but the batteries are charged by an external electric power source. BEVs have no gasoline engine; the batteries are charged by an external power source. EV registrations are up 233.2% from 2017, when there were 215,876 registered EVs. In 2022, 51.8% of registered EVs were HEVs, 31.3% were BEVs and 16.9% were PHEVs. (Statistics Canada, November 2023)

• By 2022, registrations of all types of electric vehicles (EVs) had increased dramatically since 2017. Registrations of PHEVs had risen by 407.8%, registrations of HEVs had risen by 116.6%, and registrations of BEVs had risen by a remarkable 1030.5%. See the following chart. (Statistics Canada, November 2023)

• In 2018, light-duty vehicles accounted for 92.3% of registered vehicles, commercial vehicles accounted for 4.8%, and motorcycles accounted for 2.9%. (Transport Canada, 2020)
• From 2000 to 2021, the number of truck drivers in Canada’s trucking industry increased by 31.3%, from about 247,000 in 2000 to about 324,200 in 2021. There was a relatively sharp one-year increase of 8.1% in 2021. See the following chart. (Statista, December 2023)

• In 2021, 324,200 Canadians were employed as truck drivers, making truck driving one of the top occupations in the country. (Statista, December 2023)
• The Canadian trucker workforce is aging. In 2021, the average age of a Canadian truck driver was 49, up from 44 years of age in 2016. Only 3.4% of truck drivers were 24 years of age or younger, down from 4.6% in 2016. 35% of truck drivers were 55 years of age or older, up from 28% in 2016. (PwC Canada, 2023)
• In 2014, there were 708,700 Canadian licensed motorcyclists riding 717,500 licensed and in-use motorcycles. Males account for 85–89% of these motorcyclists. However, the number of female motorcyclists continues to increase. (The Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada, 2015)
• In 2022, there were 829,892 registered motorcycles in Canada, up 13.7% from 2017. Motorcycle registrations increased each year in that time period. (Statistics Canada, January 2024)

Speeding

• In 2021, speeding (exceeding the speed limit or driving too fast for the conditions) was a contributing factor in 24.7% of fatal collisions, more than any other single contributing factor. (Transport Canada, 2022)
• Reports indicate that the main factor contributing to motorcycle fatalities in Canada was motorcycle speed, causing 12% of the deaths. (Carsurance.net, 2020)
• According to the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, 40% of speeding drivers were aged 16–24. 80% of young adult passengers who were killed in a car crash were being driven by a similar-aged driver. (Carsurance.net, 2020)
• In 2011, one in three speeding drivers involved in a fatal crash had been drinking. (Transport Canada, 2011)
• Teens are more likely than older drivers to speed and allow shorter following distances. (Texas A&M Transportation Institute, 2019)
• A survey of Canadian drivers in 2019 found that only 27% of them never drive at well over the posted speed limit.
• In a survey of Ontario drivers in 2022, 83% of them said they had witnessed other drivers speeding, and 43% of them admitted to speeding themselves. (CAA SCO, 2022)
• A 1% increase in a vehicle's speed increases the driver’s fatality risk by 4% to 12%. An increase of the speed limit by 15 km/h on a road increases the fatality rate of drivers by 10%. The risk of being involved in a severe crash is twice as great at 65 km/h than it is at 60 km/h. Injuries from a crash at 50 km/h are comparable to injuries caused by falling from a three-story building. Injuries from a crash at 100 km/h are comparable to injuries caused by falling from a twelve-story building. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, February 2014)
• National data shows that even a 10-mph speed increase ups the risk of a crash by 9.1%. (Fortune, 2016)
• A CAA poll of 2,503 Canadians carried out in October 2023 found that 88% of them were “deeply worried” about speeding in residential areas. Nevertheless, 22% of them admitted to speeding in residential areas themselves, at least occasionally. CAA also asked Canadians to list the top dangerous driving behaviours they engaged in themselves. The top five were speeding on the highway (45%), engaging with technology in their car (32%), speeding in residential zones (22%), driving well over the speed limit (19%), and driving when too tired (18%). (CAA, January 2024) 
• American teens do not consider driving at 5 to 10 mph above the speed limit to be dangerous. (Texas A&M Transportation Institute, 2019)

Accidents

• In Canada in 2021, there were 83,590 traffic collisions involving injuries, fatalities, or both. However, this figure is 46.4% lower than the 155,838 serious collisions that occurred in the year 2000. The number of serious collisions has generally trended downward over the period 2000 – 2021 despite Canada’s growing population. See the following chart. (National Collision Database, November 2023)

• Crash risk is highest during the first year that drivers are licensed. (CDC, 2018)
• From 2016 to 2021, an average of 17.5% of traffic collisions each year occurred under conditions of adverse weather, including rain (8.6%); snow (6.5%); and freezing rain, sleet or hail (0.6%); among others. (Canada National Collision Database, November 2023)
• In 2021, rear-end collisions accounted for 21.1% of all traffic collisions – more than any other type of collision. (Canada National Collision Database, November 2023)
• In 2021, 50.7% of traffic fatalities resulted from multi-vehicle collisions; 49.3% of fatalities resulted from single-vehicle events (such as a rollover or a collision with a stationary object). (Canada National Collision Database, November 2023)
• In 2021, the six most common types of fatal collisions were as follows: head-on collision with another vehicle (25% of the total), running off the right shoulder (14%), running off the left shoulder (13%), right-angle (side) impact from another vehicle (11%), hitting a stationary object (10%), and being rear-ended by another vehicle (9%). (Canada National Collision Database, November 2023)
• Certain driver performance errors, including committing a right-of-way error, sudden or improper braking or stopping, and being unfamiliar with a vehicle or roadway, increased the risk of crashing by hundreds of times. (Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, 2016)
• The total social cost of traffic collisions was estimated to be $36 billion in 2020. (Social cost includes the costs of deaths, injuries, and the mobilization of emergency services.) This figure represented about 1.9% of Canada’s Gross Domestic Product that year, or $947 per capita. Still, the social cost of collisions per capita when measured in real (inflation-adjusted) dollars has trended almost steadily downward since 1996, with $947 in 2020 being the lowest cost per capita to date. (Transport Canada)
• There are about 40,000 railway crossings in Canada. Each year, over 100 Canadians are killed or seriously injured from railway crossing attempts or trespassing on railways. A motorist is 40 times more likely to be killed in a collision with a train than in a collision with another vehicle. (Operation Lifesaver Canada, 2017)
• Most collisions between vehicles and trains happen within 40 km of the motorist’s home. 66% of train-vehicle collisions happen at crossings with active warning devices (such as gates, lights, or bells). (Operation Lifesaver Canada, 2017)
• In Canada in 2023, there were 229 railway crossing and trespassing incidents, resulting in 66 fatalities and 39 serious injuries. The greatest number of incidents occurred in Ontario: 63 railway crossing and trespassing incidents (22% of Canada’s total), resulting in 29 fatalities (44% of the total) and 15 serious injuries (39% of the total). (Operation Lifesaver Canada, 2024)

Driving Ability

• In 2018, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) found that over 40% of drivers scored lower than 80% on ICBC’s Drive Smart Refresher Test, a 20-question knowledge test of driving rules. (On the official knowledge test of driving rules, 80% is the usual minimum passing score.)
• More than 90% of road crashes are the result of human error or condition. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 2019)

Aggressive Driving

• A survey of Canadian drivers in 2006 found that 12% admitted to driving well over the speed limit, 9% admitted to speeding up to get through a traffic light, 6% admitted to using their horn when they got annoyed, 4% had made rude gestures at other drivers, and 3% had taken driving risks for fun. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 2006)
• A survey of Canadian drivers in 2017 found that 31% of them admitted to having driven through a red light, and 29% of them admitted to disobeying road signs while driving. (belairdirect, 2017)
• A survey of 1,027 Canadian drivers in 2021 found that more than one-third of them admitted to engaging in various aggressive driving behaviours. The most common, of course, was speeding (33% of surveyed drivers). 9% of drivers admitted to running a red light. Smaller but still significant percentages admitted to even riskier behaviours. See the following chart. (Finder.com, September 2021)

• Male and younger drivers ages 19–39 were significantly more likely to engage in aggressive behaviours. (AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 2016)
• In a poll of 2,009 Canadians from November to December 2021, respondents listed the following aggressive driving behaviours as constituting serious threats to their safety: running red lights (93%), aggressive driving generally (92%), speeding on residential streets (91%), and driving well over the speed limit (90%). (CAA, December 2021)

Bicyclist Safety

• Despite Canada’s generally colder climate, the percentage of commuting trips taken by bicycle in Canadian cities is about three times higher than the percentage in US cities. For example, in the Yukon, 2.0% of commuting trips are by bicycle, compared with 0.8% in California and 0.6% in Florida in the United States. (Victoria Transport Policy Institute, 2006)
• In cities and surrounding areas with a population of at least 100,000, 1.6% of Canadians commuted to work by bicycle in 2016. (Statistics Canada, November 2017)
• On the other hand, just 16% of Canadians cycle at least once a week, compared with 25% of the US population and 35% of the world’s population. (Made in CA, January 2024)
• An average of 74 cyclists die in crashes each year. About 73% of those crashes involve a collision with a motor vehicle. Another 25% of those crashes involve a collision with another cyclist or a stationary object. (CAA, 2020) However, because of Canada’s growing population, the fatality rate of cycling decreased from 2.5 deaths per one million population in 2006 to 1.3 deaths per one million population in 2017. (Statistics Canada, July 2019)

Pedestrian Safety

• From 2018 to 2020, the rate of pedestrian fatalities in traffic collisions was 1.01 deaths per 100,000 population for males, compared with only 0.61 deaths per 100,000 population for females.
• From 2018 to 2020, the rate of pedestrian fatalities was 2.65 deaths per 100,000 population for males aged 70 years and older, compared with 0.80 deaths per 100,000 population for males aged 69 years and younger. In contrast, among women aged 70 and older, the fatality rate was 1.68 deaths per 100,000 population. Considering both males and females, the pedestrian fatality rate for pedestrians aged 90 and older was 3.07 per 100,000 population – about six times as high as for pedestrians aged 30 to 49. See the following chart. (Statistics Canada, October 2023)

• From 2018 to 2020, the most common locations for pedestrian fatalities were intersections (21% of all pedestrian fatalities), roadways not at intersections (14%), highways (13%), parking lots or private property (10%), and railways (8%). (Statistics Canada, October 2023)
• From 2018 to 2020, the most common risk factors for pedestrian fatalities were as follows:
  • Nighttime (26% of all pedestrian fatalities)
  • Environmental factors (such as adverse weather, limited visibility or poor road conditions) (23%)
  • Drugs or alcohol (consumed by the driver or the pedestrian) (20%)
  • Other modifiable factors (such as distractions, vehicle speed, vehicle mechanical issues, or improper lane change or turn) (15%)
  • Pedestrian wearing dark clothing (9%)  (Statistics Canada, October 2023)
• Pedestrians have a 90% chance of surviving a crash at 30 km/h (19 mph) or less but only a 50% chance at higher speeds. (AutoInsurance.org, 2018)
• For a pedestrian, the risk of death or serious injury increases along an S-shaped curve as the vehicle impact speed increases. The following charts from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety show the risk of severe injury to a pedestrian and the risk of death to a pedestrian as a function of vehicle impact speed. The risk was calculated from a sample of 422 pedestrians who had been struck by a car or light truck during the years 1994 through 1998. (AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 2011; NHTSA, 2023)

• A pedestrian who is struck at 32 km/h (20 mph) has a 10% chance of dying. A pedestrian who is struck at 64 km/h (40 mph) has an 80% chance of dying. (Active Transportation Alliance, 2018)

Wildlife Safety

• Over 45,000 non-fatal (to humans) collisions with wildlife occur each year. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 2020)
• In a survey of Canadian drivers conducted in 2014, 9.2% of drivers reported having at least one collision with an animal. Most of these drivers reported collisions with a small mammal, such as a fox or squirrel. See the following chart. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, September 2016)

• Between 2000 and 2020, 570 persons were killed in wildlife-vehicle collisions, representing about 1.1% of all traffic fatalities. 52% of these crashes were collisions with a moose, 32% were collisions with a deer, and 6% were collisions with other animals. In that period, there was a long-term downward trend in wildlife-vehicle collision fatalities, from 34 fatalities in 2000 to 26 fatalities in 2020, although there were several sharp rises along the way. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, November 2023)

Winter Driving

• From 2000 through 2021, an average of 9.1% of collisions each year took place in the month of August, more than in any other month. An average of 6.6% of collisions each year took place in April, fewer than in any other month. See the following chart. (Canada National Collision Database, November 2023)

• In the year 2010, environmental conditions were a major contributing factor in 30% of vehicle collisions. Five percent of fatal accidents occur during snowfall. (Greg Monforton and Partners, 2020)
• In the year 2010, snow drift was a factor in over 500 accidents. Packed snow or ice was present in over 7,500 traffic accidents (more than 26% of total accidents). (Greg Monforton and Partners, 2020)
• In the year 2010, wet conditions, loose snow, or slush were present in nearly 3,500 traffic accidents (more than 12% of total accidents). (Greg Monforton and Partners, 2020)
• In 2019, 7,113 collisions (6.8% of all collisions) and 85 fatal collisions (5.2% of all fatal collisions) occurred while it was snowing. An additional 789 collisions (0.8% of all collisions) and 10 fatal collisions (0.6% of all fatal collisions occurred during freezing rain, sleet or hail. (Canada National Collision Database, November 2023)
• In the year 2020, heavy snow was falling during nearly 1,500 accidents, light snow was falling during over 900 accidents, and sleet or hail was falling during over 175 accidents. (Greg Monforton and Partners, 2020)
• Weather-related vehicle accidents kill more people annually than large-scale weather disasters. (The Weather Channel, 2018)
• In the United States in 2007–2016, about 21% of all collisions involved adverse weather. An average of 5,376 persons per year were killed in weather-related crashes. In comparison, the average number of deaths per year from floods, lightning, tornadoes, hurricanes and heat combined was 379. (The Weather Channel, February 2022) In Canada in that same period, 18.4% of all collisions and an average of 374 fatalities per year (17.5% of all traffic fatalities) involved adverse weather, such as rain, snow, hail, sleet, freezing rain, strong winds, or other weather conditions that impeded visibility. (Canada National Collision Database, October 2023)
• It takes up to 10 times longer to stop on snow and ice than it does on dry pavement. (Geico Insurance, 2018)
• A four-wheel traction system can help a car get moving in snow and ice and provide extra control when turning, but it doesn’t help the vehicle stop much faster than a front- or rear-wheel-drive car. (US News & World Report, 2018)

Child Safety

• Extreme heat affects infants and small children more quickly and dramatically than adults because of their size. A study funded by General Motors of Canada found that on a day when daytime temperature was 35°C (95° F), the air temperature inside a previously air-conditioned small car exposed to the sun rose to 50°C (122° F) within 20 minutes. Within 40 minutes, the temperature soared to 65.5° C (150° F). Leaving a window slightly open did little to mitigate this.
• Children under the age of 5 are at the highest risk for injury or death caused by a vehicle backing up over them. (KidsAndCars.org, 2018)
• Over 60% of backover accidents involve a truck or SUV. (KidsAndCars.org, 2018)
• Over 90% of Canadians wear seat belts while travelling in a motor vehicle. (InsuranceHotline.com, 2011)
• Drivers ages 16–24 tend to have the lowest seat belt use rate. (Safe Ride 4 Kids, 2018)
• When installed and used properly, child car seats can reduce the risk of death by 71% for infants under one year of age. For children ages 4 and younger, child car seats reduce the risk of serious injury by 67%. For children of appropriate ages, booster seats provide 59% more protection than seat belts alone. (CAA, 2024)

General Driving-Related Injuries and Fatalities

• The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that each year, road traffic crashes worldwide kill about 1.19 million people (a decline of 5% since 2010) and injure 20–50 million more. This works out to over 3,200 traffic deaths per day worldwide. However, from 2010 to 2021, 10 countries reduced their annual traffic deaths by more than 50%: Belarus, Brunei Darussalam, Denmark, Japan, Lithuania, Norway, Russian Federation, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. During that same period, 35 other countries reduced their annual traffic deaths by 30–50%. (WHO, 2023)
• Road traffic crashes cause 20–50 million injuries globally each year. (WHO, 2018)
• The number of annual road traffic deaths globally has reached 1.35 million. (WHO, 2018)
• In Canada in 2020, the social costs of traffic collisions, including injuries and fatalities, totaled about $36 billion. This represented about 1.9% of Canada's annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP). (Transport Canada, November 2023)
• In Canada in 2021, there were 1,768 motor vehicle fatalities, up 1.3% from 2020. There were 8,185 serious injuries resulting from traffic crashes, up 4.0% from 2020. There were 4.7 fatalities per 100,000 population, the second-lowest number of fatalities on record. There were 4.8 fatalities per billion vehicle kilometers traveled. This was one of the lowest fatality rates since the early 1970s. (Transport Canada, April 2023)
• In 2021, there were 1,768 motor vehicle fatalities in Canada, an increase of 1.3% from 2020 (1,746). (Transport Canada, 2022)
• In 2021, the number of motor vehicle fatalities per 100,000 population increased slightly to 4.7 (from 4.6 in 2020), and is the second lowest on record. In 2021, the number of fatalities per billion vehicle kilometres travelled slightly increased to 4.8 (from 4.7 in 2020); this is still the second lowest rate recorded. (Transport Canada, 2022)
• In 2021, the number of motor vehicle serious injuries increased to 8,185, an increase of 4.0% from 2020 (7,868). Still, this figure is among the lowest values of this measure ever recorded. (Transport Canada, 2022)
• In 2018, the motor vehicle fatality rate was 0.77 fatalities per 10,000 motor vehicles registered. (Transport Canada, 2020)
• In 2018 in Canada, there were 1,922 motor vehicle fatalities, up 3.6% from 2017. (Transport Canada, 2019)
• In Canada, in 2017, there were 5.0 traffic fatalities per 100,000 population. In 2018, there were 5.2 traffic fatalities per 100,000 population. These were the lowest rates since the early 1970s. (Transport Canada, 2019)
• In Canada, in 2017, there were 4.8 fatalities per billion vehicle kilometres travelled. In 2018, there were 4.9 fatalities per billion vehicle kilometres travelled. These were the lowest rates since the early 1970s. (Transport Canada, 2019)
• In 2019, impaired driving/driving under the influence was a contributing factor in 23.1% of fatal collisions, and speeding/driving too fast for conditions was a contributing factor in 21.5% of fatal collisions. However, in 31.0% of fatal collisions that year, no contributing factors were identified. See the following chart. Note that the percentage of accidents involving fatigue is likely an underestimate because of the difficulty of establishing fatigue objectively. (According to a Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police report, as many as 20% of fatal collisions may be caused by drowsy drivers.) Note also that the sum of the values of the identified factors exceeds 100.0% because some collisions involved more than one contributing factor. (Transport Canada, June 2021)

Fatalities by Location

• Low-income countries have 9% of the world’s population and fewer than 1% of the world’s powered vehicles, yet they account for 13% of the world’s traffic fatalities. In contrast, high-income countries have 16% of the world’s population and 28% of the world’s powered vehicles, yet they account for just 8% of the world’s traffic fatalities. Low-income countries also have the highest traffic fatality rates per 100,000 population. See the following chart, which breaks down traffic fatality rates by world regions. (WHO, 2023)

• In the European Union, there were about 20,600 road fatalities in 2022, which was 3% higher than in 2021 but 10% lower than in 2019. (European Commission, February 2023)
• In the European Union in 2022, Sweden had the lowest road fatality rate (22 road deaths per million inhabitants), and Romania had the highest rate (86 road deaths per million inhabitants). The EU average was 46 road deaths per million inhabitants. (European Commission, February 2023)
• In Canada in 2021, road fatalities per billion vehicle-kilometres travelled were lower than in many other developed countries, such as the Netherlands, France, and Japan, and much lower than in the United States. See the following chart. (International Transport Forum, 2024)

• In Canada in 2020, the social costs of traffic collisions, including injuries and fatalities, totaled about $36 billion. This represented about 1.9% of Canada's annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP). (Transport Canada, January 2024)
• In Canada in 2021, there were 1,768 motor vehicle fatalities, up 1.3% from 2020. There were 8,185 serious injuries resulting from traffic crashes, up 4.0% from 2020. There were 4.7 fatalities per 100,000 population, the second lowest number of fatalities on record. There were 4.8 fatalities per billion vehicle kilometers traveled. This was one of the lowest fatality rates since the early 1970s. (Transport Canada, April 2023)
• In Canada in 2021, the distributions of collisions involving fatalities and those involving personal injuries by location were as follows: (Transport Canada, April 2023)

• Among all Canadian provinces and territories in 2018, Nunavut had the highest rate by far of traffic fatalities (48.8) per billion vehicle-kilometres travelled and the highest rate by far of traffic fatalities (74.2) per 100,000 licensed drivers. Ontario had the lowest rates: 4.1 per billion vehicle-kilometres and 5.8 per 100,000 licensed drivers. (Transport Canada, 2020)
• Among all Canadian provinces and territories in 2021, Nunavut had the highest rate by far of traffic fatalities (23.8) per billion vehicle-kilometres travelled. Prince Edward Island had the highest rate of traffic fatalities (10.5) per 100,000 population and the highest rate (13.9) per 100,000 licensed drivers. Nunavut had the lowest rate (2.6) per 100,000 population, Yukon had the lowest rate (2.8) per billion vehicle-kilometres travelled, and Ontario had the lowest rate (5.1) per 100,000 licensed drivers. Note, however, that rates in less populous jurisdictions tend to fluctuate a great deal because of their small sample size. In 2018, for example, Nunavut had the highest rate by far of traffic fatalities (74.2) per 100,000 licensed drivers. See the following chart. (Transport Canada, April 2023)

• In Alberta, approximately 70 work zones recorded at least one traffic-related injury every day. (University of Alberta, February 2022)
• In 2013 in Ontario, there were 1,694 collisions in construction zones. Seven of these collisions led to the deaths of eight people, and another 341 of these collisions involved injuries. (Ontario Ministry of Transportation, 2013)
• The most common locations for motorcycle fatalities are intersections (31%), highways (30%), and public roadways (23%). The most common locations for passenger vehicle fatalities are highways (40%); 13% of passenger vehicle fatalities occur at intersections. (Statistics Canada, May 2023)

Fatalities by type of road user

• More than half of all road traffic deaths worldwide are among pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. Worldwide, road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5–29, yet two-thirds of road traffic fatalities occur among people aged 18–59. Males are three times as likely to be killed as females. (WHO, 2023)
• In Canada in 2021, 50.2% of motor vehicle fatalities were the drivers themselves. The second largest group (15.8%) of motor vehicle fatalities was pedestrians. See the following chart. (Transport Canada, 2022)

In 2021, motorcycles (together with mopeds) represented only about 3.1% of registered motor vehicles, but (as shown in the above chart) motorcycle fatalities represented 13.1% of motor vehicle fatalities. (Statistics Canada, November 2023)

• It is estimated that in Canada, motorcyclists are 15 times as likely to be involved in a crash as car drivers are. Motorcyclists are 13.5 times as likely to be killed in a crash as car drivers are. (FortNine.ca, 2018)
• During 2016 – 2020, there was an average of 211 motorcycle fatalities each year. The three most common types of fatal motorcycle collisions caused more than half of all motorcycle fatalities: collision with a stationary object or running off the road (27%), left-turn collision or right-angle (T-bone) collision (25%), and head-on collision (10%). (Statistics Canada, May 2023; Canada National Collision Database, October 2023)
• During 2016 – 2020, the three most common risk factors for fatal motorcycle collisions were consumption of alcohol or drugs (31%), losing control of the motorcycle (27%), and speeding (24%). Over half of motorcycle fatalities involved at least one risk factor. (Statistics Canada, May 2023)
• During 2016 – 2020, 12% of motorcycle rider fatalities were riding with another person at the time. However, the riders (motorcycle operators) accounted for 84% of motorcycle fatalities. (Statistics Canada, May 2023)
• During 2016 – 2020, there were 8.5 traffic deaths of male motorcycle riders per one million population. For female riders, there were 1.1 deaths per one million population. (Statistics Canada, May 2023)
• In Ontario from 2012 to 2021, there were 326 fatal motorcycle crashes with 342 motorcycle fatalities. The motorcyclists who died were determined to be the at-fault driver in 60.7% of the crashes. (Ontario Provincial Police, May 2022)
• It is estimated that about 15% of highway deaths each year are due to collisions involving large trucks. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 2015)
• The number of large trucks per 100,000 vehicle registrations that were involved in fatal crashes declined from 69.9 in 2002 to 36.1 in 2012. (Transport Canada, 2015)
• In 2010, 351 out of 2,541 traffic fatalities (14% of traffic fatalities) occurred in collisions that involved a large truck. Most of those killed were occupants of passenger vehicles; only 54 fatalities were occupants of the large trucks. (Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, 2013)
• In Canada, from 2006 to 2017, an average of 74 cyclists (bicyclists) were killed in crashes each year. Over the same period, the age-standardized cycling death rate decreased from 2.5 per one million population in 2006 to 1.3 deaths per one million population in 2017. 73% of cyclist fatalities were caused by collisions with a motor vehicle. Another 25% of fatalities involved other causes such as collisions with a stationary object. The causes of the remaining 2% are unknown. (Statistics Canada, 2019)
• From 2006 to 2017, 5.6 times as many male cyclists were killed in crashes as female cyclists. (Statistics Canada, 2019)
• About 7,500 cyclists are seriously injured each year. (CAA, 2020)
• 18% of cyclists who were killed in crashes were under the age of 16. (CAA, 2020)
• 19% of cyclists who were killed in crashes were struck by a heavy truck. (CAA, 2020)
• Most bicycle crashes and injuries occur during the afternoon rush hour. However, 1 in 3 cyclist deaths occur at night or in artificial lighting. 34% of cyclists who were killed in crashes had been struck by a vehicle in the dark. (CAA, 2020)
• 64% of cyclist deaths from traffic crashes occurred on city roads (those with a speed limit of up to 70 km/h). The remainder occurred on rural roads (with a speed limit of 80 km/h or higher). (CAA, 2020)
• From 2009 to 2018, an average of 317 pedestrians were killed in traffic collisions in Canada. In 2018, 332 pedestrians were killed. (Statista, 2020)

Fatalities by Gender

• In the period 2012 to 2021, 70.8% of traffic fatalities were male, and 28.9% were female. The genders of the remainder were either unknown or not applicable. The following chart breaks down the percentages of fatalities by gender for various types of vehicles. Males made up 44.4% of fatalities for school buses and 63.9% of fatalities for cargo vans but 97.5% of fatalities for truck tractors and 95.4% of fatalities for large straight trucks. Note that the percentages for male and female do not always sum to 100% because some fatalities for that type of vehicle might be of other genders or unknown gender. (Canada National Collision Database, October 2023)

Fatalities by Age

• Globally, car accidents are the leading cause of death among young adults ages 15–29 – and the ninth leading cause of death for all people. (SaferAmerica, 2019)
• Road traffic crashes are the eighth leading cause of death for people of all ages. (WHO, 2018)
• In Canada in 2021, more drivers aged 25 to 34 died in traffic crashes than drivers in any other age group. However, more passengers aged 65 and older died in crashes than passengers in any other age group. More drivers aged 25 to 34 and more passengers aged 25 to 34 were seriously injured than those in any other age groups. The following charts show the distributions of fatalities and serious injuries by age group. (Transport Canada, 2022)

• Road crashes are the leading cause of death for Canadian drivers aged 15–24. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 2008)
• One-third of the deaths and one-third of the injuries to young people each year are the result of road crashes. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 2008)
• The following chart shows the distribution of motorcycle fatalities in 2016–2020 by age group. There were more motorcyclist fatalities aged 40–59 (30.2%) than those in any other age group. (Statistics Canada, May 2023)

• The fatal collision rate for drivers of large trucks aged 17 to 18 has been 4.5 times higher than the rate for large truck drivers who were 21 years of age or older. For drivers aged 19 to 20, it has been 6 times higher. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 2016)

Distracted Driving

• One survey of drivers in six countries found that 35% admitted to changing their clothes while driving, 13% admitted to applying makeup while driving, and 15% admitted to engaging in sexual activity while driving. (WIRED, 2010)
• In some parts of Canada, the number of distracted driving fatalities has now surpassed the number of impaired (drunk or drugged) driving fatalities. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 2019)
• In Canada in 2019, distraction was a contributing factor in 18.4% of fatal collisions. (Transport Canada, June 2021)
• According to the U.S. National Safety Council, about 1.6 million car crashes (26% of all car crashes) in the United States involve phone use, including hands-free phone use. (CAA, 2020)
• CAA polls of Canadian drivers in 2020 and 2021 found that 79% of them admitted to engaging in distracting behaviour. Besides texting, 47% of these drivers admitted to programming a destination on their navigation app or device while driving. 78% of them admitted that they frequently change the radio station while driving. (CAA, 2020 and 2021)
• A survey of 1,027 Canadian drivers in 2021 found that more than half of them admitted to engaging in various distracted driving behaviours while driving. The most common was eating food (49% of surveyed drivers). 15% of drivers admitted to smoking while driving. 14% of drivers read or sent text messages. 11% talked on a hand-held cell phone. See the following chart. (Finder.com, September 2021)

• In a 2023 survey of Canadian drivers, 30% of drivers surveyed admitted to having been involved in a crash caused by their distractions, and 19% of drivers stated that they had been involved in a crash caused by another driver’s distracted driving. Nevertheless, 48% of drivers surveyed admitted to using a hand-held cell phone to make or receive phone calls, and 21% admitted to reading text messages or emails while driving. 16% stated that they often cry or experience intense emotions while driving. (Travelers Canada, April 2023)
• 78% of Canadians admitted that they frequently change the radio station while driving. (CAA polling, 2020)
• 47% of Canadians have programmed a destination on their GPS or mobile device while driving. (CAA polling, 2020)
• A quarter of Canadians have changed a song on their phone while driving. (CAA polling, 2020)
• A web survey of Canadian drivers in 2017 found that 14% of them admitted to having engaged in romantic activities while driving, and 3% of them admitted to having flossed while driving. (belairdirect, 2017)
• Dialling a phone is one of the most dangerous distractions, increasing a driver's chance of crashing by 12 times. (Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, 2016)
• Reading or writing increased the risk of crashing by 10 times. (Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, 2016)
• Driving while crying or visibly angry increased the risk of crashing by 10 times. (Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, 2016)
• Using a hands-free electronic device is four times more distracting than talking to an adult passenger. (Driver's Alert, 2017)
• Child passengers can be 12 times more distracting to a driver than talking on a cell phone. One study found that the average parent driver took his or her eyes off the road for three minutes and 22 seconds during a 16-minute trip. (Monash University, 2013)
• Manual transmission vehicles double the chances of distracted driving crashes caused by food consumption. (Drive-Safely.net, 2019)
• Smartphone apps are one reason for the increase in distracted driving. Apps like Snapchat record the speed of a vehicle, the navigation app Waze rewards drivers for reporting traffic conditions in the moment, and games like Pokemon Go encourage drivers to search for virtual creatures along roads and highways. (New York Times, 2016)
• All 10 provinces plus the Yukon, Northwest, and Nunavut territories now ban the use of hand-held cell phones while driving, although the penalties vary among these provinces and territories. (CAA, 2020)
• All provinces and territories now ban the use of hand-held electronic devices, such as cell phones, while driving except in an emergency. In 2002, Newfoundland and Labrador was the first to enact a ban on the use of hand-held cell phones while driving. Nunavut, in 2019, was the last. Some provinces have gone further. Alberta also specifically bans some other potentially distracting activities while driving, such as personal grooming and reading or writing hardcopy materials. In British Columbia, it’s illegal to wear earbuds in both ears while driving. In Ontario and Quebec, it’s illegal to watch a display screen for a purpose unrelated to driving, such as to watch a video. Elsewhere in Canada, you may be charged with dangerous driving or driving without due care if you engage in such activities while driving. (Canada Drives, 2024)

Texting and Driving Accidents

• Texting while driving increases the risk of crashing by 23 times. Dialling a cell phone increases crash risk by 6 times. (NHTSA, 2009 and 2018)
• 47 of the 50 US states ban texting while driving, and 15 states ban drivers from hand-held phone use. (FCC, 2017)
• Texting increases your chances of rear-ending someone by a factor of 7. (AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 2018)
• 33% of Canadians admit they have texted while stopped at a red light, despite believing it is unacceptable. (CAA, 2016)
• 47% of Canadians admitted that they have typed a text message or used the voice-memo feature to send a text message while driving. (CAA polling, 2020)
• The maximum amount of time that a driver can safely divert his or her attention from the road is two seconds. It takes a driver an average of five seconds to send a text message. (TeenSafe, 2018)
• Texting takes an average of 4.6 seconds. At 90 km/h, a vehicle travels 115 metres in 4.6 seconds. (NHTSA, 2009)
• Sending or reading a text message takes your eyes off the road for an average of five seconds. At 90 km/h, your vehicle will travel 125 metres – longer than a football field, including the two end zones.

Alcohol Impairment

• From September 2016 to September 2018, roadside surveys of noncommercial drivers in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Yukon, and Northwest Territories from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. found that 4.4% of the surveyed drivers tested positive for alcohol, and 0.7% of the drivers had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or greater. 5.1% of the drivers aged 25 to 34 tested positive for alcohol, the highest percentage of all age groups. However, only 2.1% of drivers aged 16 to 19 tested positive for alcohol. 21.9% of drivers who tested positive for alcohol also tested positive for drugs. (Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, September 2019)
• A driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.10% is 51 times as likely as a non-drinking driver to be involved in a fatal crash. (MADD Canada, 2020)
• A public opinion poll of Canadian drivers in 2017 found that 5.1% of drivers admitted they had driven a vehicle despite believing they were over the legal BAC limit (0.08%) at the time. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 2017)
• A survey of young Ontario drivers in 2013 found that among drivers in grades 10 through 12, 4% of them had driven a vehicle after drinking alcohol, and 9.7% had driven a vehicle after smoking cannabis. (MADD Canada, 2020)
• In 2019, impaired driving was a contributing factor in 23.1% of fatal collisions. (Transport Canada, 2022)
• In 2019, 155 people died in crashes caused by impaired driving. 88 (57%) of these were the drivers, and 67 (43%) were other road users. (Statistics Canada, July 2021)
• In 2019, police reported 85,673 incidents of impaired driving, the highest number since 2011. The impaired driving rate (from alcohol or drugs) also increased by 19% from 2018, breaking a downward trend that had begun in 2011. However, the rate of impaired driving causing a fatal accident decreased by 38%, reaching its lowest level since data collection first began. The rate of impaired driving causing injury increased slightly, by 4%. (Statistics Canada, July 2021)
• From 2000 to 2014, the number of alcohol-related fatalities decreased by 40.8%, while the total number of fatalities decreased by 34.7%. In 2000, there were 311 fatally injured male drivers whose blood alcohol level was above the legal limit of 0.08%, representing 32.7% of all fatally injured male drivers. By 2014, the number of fatally injured intoxicated male drivers had declined to 191, 26.9% of all fatally injured male drivers. The number of fatally injured intoxicated female drivers also declined, from 33 in 2000 to 22 in 2014. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, July 2018)
• In 1986, intoxicated female drivers accounted for 1 in 13 alcohol-related crashes. By 2015, this proportion had risen to 1 in 5. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, December 2016)
• From 2010 to 2018, the number of federal alcohol-impaired driving charges per year declined by 21.7%. However, there was an uptick in alcohol-impaired driving charges in 2019, probably reflecting (at least in part) the imposition of mandatory alcohol screening (MAS) of drivers that year. MAS efforts were cut back during the COVID-19 pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, which is one reason that alcohol-impaired driving charges declined again. (Another reason may simply be that fewer drivers were on the roads during the height of the pandemic.) As a result, the number of alcohol-related driving charges in 2021 was 30.3% below the number in 2010. The number of alcohol charges per 100,000 population in 2021 was 38.0% lower than in 2010. See the following two charts. (MADD Canada, March 2023)

• In 2014, there were an estimated 2,297 traffic fatalities. It is estimated that 1,273 (55.4%) of these deaths resulted from crashes in which an individual was positive for alcohol or drugs:
  • 299 deaths, or 13%, occurred in crashes involving individuals who were positive for alcohol alone.
  • 618 deaths, or 26.9%, occurred in crashes involving individuals who were positive for drugs alone.
  • 356 deaths, or 15.5%, occurred in crashes involving individuals who were positive for both alcohol and drugs.
  • These figures do not include fatal crashes on private property, Crown land, or a road administered by a First Nation.
  • Cannabis was present in nearly half of the drug-positive fatal crashes. (MADD Canada, 2020)
• In 2014, 16% of collisions resulting in serious injury or death involved a drinking driver. 69% of collisions involving a drinking driver were single-vehicle collisions. (Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, 2017)
• In 2015, 26.9% of persons killed in road crashes on public roadways in Canada (excluding British Columbia) involved a drinking driver. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 2018)
• In 2017, 1,866 persons were killed in crashes on Canada’s public roads. For 1,740 (93.2%) of these persons, it was possible to determine whether alcohol was involved in the crash. 495 (28.4%) of these 1,740 persons had died in alcohol-related crashes. (Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, January 2022)
• In 2017, 1,194 drivers were fatally injured in crashes on Canada’s public roads. 1,012, or 84.8% of these drivers were tested for blood alcohol content. Of the deceased drivers tested, 29.6% tested positive for alcohol, 24.6% had blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) above 0.08% (the legal limit), and 15.8% had BACs greater than 0.16%. (Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, January 2022)
• In 2017, 298 pedestrians were fatally injured in crashes on Canada’s public roads. 165 (55.4%) of these pedestrians were tested for blood alcohol content. 30.2% of these 165 pedestrians tested positive for alcohol. 25.4% of the pedestrians had blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) above 0.08% (the legal limit). 21.8% of the pedestrians had BACs above 0.16%. (Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, January 2022)
• In 2021, 391 Canadians were killed in alcohol-related traffic crashes, accounting for 26.5% of all fatal crashes in that year. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, December 2023)
• Alcohol-impaired driving most often occurs on weekends (47% of incidents) and between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m.  In contrast, research has shown that although 28% of drug-impaired driving incidents occurred between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m., an equal proportion of incidents occurred between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m.  Less than one-third of drug-impaired driving incidents occurred on weekends. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 2017) 
• Between 2000 and 2014, the total number of traffic fatalities declined by 34.7%, whereas the number of alcohol-related fatalities declined by 40.8%. Evidently, a true decrease in fatalities caused by impaired driving has occurred. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 2018)
• In 2014, 16.4% of alcohol-positive drivers who were killed in traffic crashes had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) over 0.16%, which is over twice the legal limit in Canada. 7.3% of the alcohol-positive drivers who were killed had BACs between 0.081% and 0.160%. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 2018)
• In 2014, the distribution of fatally injured legally impaired (BAC 0.08% or above) drivers by vehicle type was as follows: (Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, 2014)

• In 2015, the distribution of police traffic stops per 100,000 population for impaired driving (alcohol, drugs, or both) by province or territory was as follows:


Among the provinces, Saskatchewan had the highest rate (575); Ontario the lowest rate (111). The Yukon and Northwest Territories had much higher rates (1,210 and 1,211, respectively) than even Saskatchewan. (Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, 2016)

• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among 16- to 25-year-olds. Alcohol or drugs are a factor in 55% of those crashes. (MADD Canada, 2020)
• In 2010, 16- to 25-year-olds made up 13.6% of the population but almost 33.4% of the impairment-related traffic deaths. (MADD Canada, 2020)
• In nearly two-thirds of the alcohol-related multiple-vehicle crashes, it was the fatally injured teen driver who had been drinking and not the other drivers. (MADD Canada, 2020)
• Males account for 87% of the young fatally injured drinking drivers and 89% of the young seriously injured drinking drivers.
• In 2010, impairment-related crashes resulted in an estimated 1,082 fatalities, 63,821 injuries, and damage to 210,932 vehicles in property-damage-only (PDO) crashes. There was a total of 181,911 crashes, costing an estimated $20.62 billion. (MADD Canada, 2020)

Drug Impairment

• From September 2016 to September 2018 (before cannabis was legalized), roadside surveys of noncommercial drivers in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Yukon, and Northwest Territories from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. found that 12.4% of the drivers tested positive for drugs. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, was the most identified drug: 72.9% of the drug-positive drivers tested positive for THC. 31.3% of the drug-positive drivers tested positive for stimulants (such as cocaine or methamphetamine). 11.5% of the drug-positive drivers tested positive for opioids (such as fentanyl or oxycodone). 15.7% of the drug-positive drivers tested positive for more than one drug, and 6.2% of the drug-positive drivers also tested positive for alcohol. (Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, September 2019)
• A survey of Canadians 13 years of age or older, found that 33% of parents of youth aged 13–24 didn’t know if their child had ever accepted a ride with a driver under the influence of cannabis. (Health Canada, 2016)
• A survey of Canadians aged 19–24 found that 77% of them agreed that cannabis impairs one’s ability to drive. However, 24% of Canadians aged 19–24 believed that it was safe to drive a couple of hours after consuming cannabis. 15% of Canadians aged 19–24 believed that after a person consumes cannabis, it will be safe to drive as soon as the person believes the effect has worn off. (Both of these beliefs are incorrect.) (Health Canada, 2016)
• A survey of Canadians 13 years of age or older found that 27% of them admitted to having driven a vehicle while under the influence of cannabis, and 42% of recent marijuana users admitted to having driven while under the influence of cannabis. 35% of those surveyed also reported that they had been a passenger in a vehicle that was being driven by someone under the influence of cannabis. This figure rises to 42% among young adults, and 70% of recent marijuana users said that they had been in this position. (Health Canada, 2016)
• From 2010 to 2021, the number of federal drug-related impaired driving charges laid increased steadily each year as laws against drug-impaired driving were enforced. In 2010, there were 925 drug-impaired driving charges; in 2021, there were 7,308, representing a 690.1% increase and a 602.9% increase per 100,000 population. See the charts on federal impaired driving charges in the subsection “Alcohol-Impaired Driving Statistics.” (MADD Canada, March 2023)
• In 2014, among fatally injured drivers who were tested for drugs, 42.4% were positive for drugs. Of the fatally injured drivers who tested positive for drugs, 44.7% tested positive for cannabis. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 2018)
• In a survey of 11,000 Canadians in 2021, 57% of those surveyed had used cannabis within the previous 12 months. Of these users, 21% reported having driven a vehicle within two hours of using cannabis at least once in their lives. 35% reported having done so within the past 12 months. Those who had done so were asked why they had driven after using cannabis. The most common reasons given were as follows: the person did not feel impaired (78%), the person thought they could drive carefully (22%), the trip was relatively short (20%), no alternative transportation was available (13%), and the person did not expect to be caught by law enforcement (9%). (Health Canada, December 2021) 
• In a survey of 11,000 Canadians in 2021, respondents were asked how soon after using cannabis did they think it would be safe to drive. The most common responses were “don’t know” (34%), at least 8 hours (21%), 3 to 5 hours (15%), 5 to 7 hours (12%), and 7 to 8 hours (6%). (Health Canada, December 2021) 
• In a survey of 2,193 Canadians in January 2022, 86% of respondents agreed that cannabis impairs one’s driving ability, an increase of 5 percentage points from 2017 (the first time this survey was conducted). Persons aged 25 to 34 are known to be more likely to drive under the influence of cannabis than persons in other age groups. Nevertheless, 82% of this group agreed that cannabis can hinder driving ability, an increase of 15 percentage points from 2017. 79% of those who had used cannabis within the past year also agreed that it can hinder driving ability, an increase of 16 percentage points from 2017. Respondents were asked to select from a list of possible ways that cannabis could affect driving ability. 81% of them responded that it slows your reaction time and ability to concentrate, and 67% responded that it makes you a worse driver. However, 8% responded that cannabis makes you a more careful driver. And 24% of respondents believed that driving under the influence of cannabis is less dangerous than driving under the influence of alcohol. (Public Safety Canada, February 2022)
• According to a CAA poll, 86% of younger Canadians understand the need to seek alternative transportation after consuming alcohol, but only 70% believe it is necessary after consuming cannabis. (CAA, 2020)
• According to a CAA poll, 12% of Canadians aged 18–34 falsely believe that their driving is the same or even better after consuming cannabis. (CAA, 2020)
• According to a CAA poll, 50% of Canadians aged 18–34 falsely believe that it is safe to drive less than five hours after consuming cannabis. (CAA, 2020)
• It is an offence under the Criminal Code to drive under the influence of drugs or under the influence of both drugs and alcohol. Currently, the specific offences and penalties are as follows. (Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis.)
  • At least 2 ng (nanograms) but less than 5 ng of THC per ml (milliliter) of blood: a maximum fine of $1,000
  • 5 ng or more of THC per ml of blood: mandatory minimum penalties of a $1,000 fine for a first offense, 30 days’ imprisonment for a second offense and 120 days’ imprisonment for a third offense
  • At least 2.5 ng of THC together with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05%: same mandatory minimum penalties as above
  • Any detectable level of cocaine, methamphetamine, LSD, etc.: same mandatory minimum penalties as above
  • Provinces and territories may impose their own penalties as well, such as an administrative licence suspension even before the driver has been found guilty of the offence.
• However, as of 2023, there was as yet little reliable scientific evidence for a significant association between cannabis consumption and elevated real-world crash risk. There was also little reliable evidence for a direct dose-response relationship between blood levels of THC and degree of driver impairment. (NHTSA, 2023)
• In 2017, among people of ages 16 or older, 12.8 million drove after using illicit drugs. (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2017)
• The number of alcohol-positive drivers killed in crashes who also tested positive for drugs increased by 16% from 2006 to 2016. (Governors Highway Safety Association, 2017)
• 50 mg of diphenhydramine (a popular over-the-counter antihistamine) can impair your driving more than a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.10%. (University of Iowa, 2000)

Fatigued Driving

• According to data from Australia, England, Finland, and other European nations, all of whom have more consistent crash reporting procedures than the U.S., drowsy driving represents 10 to 30 percent of all crashes.
• In a survey of 750 Ontario drivers in 2006, 14.5% of the respondents admitted that they had fallen asleep or “nodded off” at least once while driving during the past year. 2% of the respondents admitted that they had been involved in a fatigue-related or drowsiness-related collision within the past year. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, October 2007)
• In a 2011 survey of Canadian drivers, 18.5% of drivers admitted to nodding off or falling asleep at the wheel in the past year. 14% of drivers admitted to often driving fatigued.
• In a 2004 survey of Canadian drivers, 28% of drivers aged 16–19 and 35% of drivers aged 20–24 reported nodding off while driving. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 2012)
• According to the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, 21% of all collisions are caused by driver fatigue.
• According to a Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police report, 20% of fatal collisions are caused by drowsy drivers. (Carsurance.net, 2020)
• From 2010 to 2016, the rates of fatigue-related fatalities and non-fatigue-related fatalities per 100,000 population both decreased, but the rate of non-fatigue-related fatalities declined both faster and more steadily. The rate of fatigue-related fatalities declined from 0.35 persons per 100,000 population in 2010 to 0.25 persons per 100,000 population in 2016, a decline of 28.6%. The rate of non-fatigue-related fatalities declined from 7.2 persons per 100,000 population in 2010 to 3.51 persons in 2016, a decline of 51.2%. Also, the rate of fatigue-related fatalities significantly increased twice to local peaks in 2002 and 2011 before falling to its 2016 value. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, March 2020)
• In the United States, between 79,000 and 103,000 crashes a year are caused by fatigue, with 71,000 injuries and 1,500 fatalities. (NHTSA, 2019)
• Fatigue-related road crashes are most likely from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and from 12 midnight to 7 a.m. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 2012)
• In a fatigue-related accident, typically the driver is young, male, and alone (no passengers), and the accident is a single-vehicle crash (usually the vehicle runs off the roadway). (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 2012)
• Being awake for 18 hours straight can impair driving as much as a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05%. Being awake for 24 hours straight can impair driving as much as a BAC of 0.10%. (In Canada, the legal limit for BAC is under 0.08%.) (National Sleep Foundation, 2018)
• Drivers missing 2–3 hours of sleep in 24 hours more than quadrupled their risk of a crash compared with drivers getting the recommended seven hours of sleep. (AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 2016)
• If a driver falls asleep for just four seconds while travelling at a speed of 100 km/h (62 mph), the vehicle will travel 111 meters (364 feet) without a driver in control. (The length of a US football field including the two end zones is 360 feet.) (Transport Accident Commission, 2018)
• Driving while sleepy can make a driver approximately two-and-a-half times as likely to have a motor vehicle accident. (Sleep, Journal of the Sleep Research Society, 2017)
• Drivers who get only five or six hours of sleep in 24 hours nearly double their risk of a crash. (AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 2016)
• With less sleep, consuming alcohol has been shown to be associated with many more “off-road deviations,” indicating that alcohol compounds the effects of fatigue. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 2012)
• Currently, there are no laws in Canada specifically against driving while drowsy. However, a driver who falls asleep at the wheel might be charged with other offences, such as dangerous operation of a vehicle. (CBC, September 2020)
• The common cold can slow a driver’s reaction time by about 10% – roughly as much as a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% (which constitutes legal intoxication in Canada). This does not include possible additional driving impairment from medications taken to treat the common cold. (Cardiff University, 2012)

Teen Accidents

• Most traumatic injuries to Canadians aged 15–19 are caused by car crashes. (Desjardins Insurance, 2020)
• Young Canadians represent 13% of the licensed driving population but account for 20% of motor vehicle deaths and injuries. (Desjardins Insurance, 2020)
• In 2019, 115 persons aged 15–19 were killed in road crashes. 12,010 were injured, of whom 744 were injured seriously enough to require hospitalization. 88.8% of these deaths and 86.2% of these injuries occurred to teens as motor vehicle drivers, motor vehicle passengers, or motorcyclists. The rest of the deaths and injuries occurred to them as pedestrians or bicyclists. (Transport Canada, June 2021; Canada National Collision Database, November 2023)
• Until 2020, the rates of fatalities per 100,000 population for drivers aged 15–19 and 20–24 had exceeded the rates for all other age groups under age 65. In 2020, those rates dropped sharply, probably because fewer young people were on the road as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, the fatality rate for drivers aged 20–24 still exceeded the rates for all other age groups that year. See the following chart. (Parachute, October 2023)

• A study of vehicle crashes in Canada from 1990 to 2012 found that persons aged 16 to 25 made up 13.6% of the population but 27.2% of all motorcyclist fatalities. (Vanlaar et al., Journal of Safety Research, September 2016)
• A study of vehicle crashes in Canada from 1990 to 2012 found that persons under 16 years of age made up 19.5% of the population but 23.3% of all cyclist (bicyclist) fatalities. (Vanlaar et al., Journal of Safety Research, September 2016)
• The most common types of teen driver crashes involve left-hand turns, rear-end events, and running off the road. (DriveTeam, 2017)
• When a teen driver is carrying a passenger, the risk of a fatal car crash doubles. If two or more passengers are present, the odds are five times as likely. (TeenSafe, 2018)
• 20% of female teens and 24% of male teens who crash say they were distracted by a passenger before the crash occurred. (DriveTeam, 2017)
• 53% of motor vehicle crash deaths among teenagers occurred on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. (IIHS, 2016)

Senior Accidents

• Senior drivers often try to reduce their risk of injury by wearing safety belts, observing speed limits, and not drinking and driving. (AAA, 2019)
• In the European Union, persons aged 75 or older have demonstrated a greater risk of severe injury or death in every mode of transport, including driving. (EU Mobility & Transport, January 2021)
• Elderly drivers make up for physical disadvantages through their driving experience. (EU Mobility & Transport, 2019)
• In Europe in 2018, 29% of road crash fatalities were 65 years of age or older, compared with just 17% in 1992. 49% of these senior crash victims in 2018 were pedestrians or cyclists. (EU Mobility & Transport, January 2021)
• In the Netherlands, the fatality rate per billion kilometres travelled for car drivers aged 75 or older is more than 5 times higher than the average for all ages. The fatality rate for cyclists aged 75 or older is 12 times higher than the average for all ages. (EU Mobility & Transport, 2019)
• In Europe, older drivers are over-represented in crashes at intersections. Typically, the older driver turns against oncoming traffic with the right-of-way on the main road. (EU Mobility & Transport, 2019)
• In Europe, older drivers are under-represented in crashes involving loss of control or collisions due to speeding, risky passing, or driving under the influence of alcohol. (EU Mobility & Transport, 2019)
• In Canada in 2021, drivers aged 65 and older suffered the second-highest percentage (20.3% of the total) of driver fatalities and the highest percentage (19.2%) of passenger fatalities of all age groups. See the charts in the subsection “Fatalities by Age.” (Transport Canada, 2022)
• In the period 2018 to 2020, the rate of pedestrian deaths per 100,000 population increased sharply with advancing age after age 49. The fatality rate for pedestrians aged 40 to 49 was 0.52 per 100,000 population. For pedestrians aged 60 to 69, the rate was 1.12 per 100,000 population – more than twice as high. The fatality rate for pedestrians aged 90 or older was 3.07 per 100,000 population – nearly six times as high. See the following chart. (Statistics Canada, October 2023)

Trucking Statistics

• From 2012 to 2021, the number of registered commercial vehicles increased by 24%, from 1,052,825 to 1,310,063. (Statistics Canada, November 2023)
• In 2021, there were 1,310,063 commercial vehicles, consisting of 648,191 commercial vehicles weighing between 4,536 and 11,793 kg, 597,666 vehicles weighing 11,794 kg or more, and 64,206 buses. (Statistics Canada, November 2023)
• In the fourth quarter of 2021, 65% of commercial vehicles were straight trucks, 33% were tractor-trailers, and 2% were buses. 65% of commercial vehicles were classified as heavy vehicles, and 35% of commercial vehicles were classified as medium vehicles. (Transport Canada, November 2023)
• In Canada in 2022, there were 609,850 registered heavy-duty trucks, making up 2.3% of all registered motor vehicles, and 674,329 registered medium-duty trucks, making up 2.6% of all registered motor vehicles. Heavy-duty trucks have a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 11,794 kg or more (GVWR classes 7 and 8).  Medium-duty trucks have a GVWR of between 4,536 and 11,793 kg (GVWR classes 3, 4, 5 and 6).  (Statistics Canada, November 2023)
• In 2018, trucks carried 63.7 million shipments with an average weight of 11.8 tonnes, for an average distance of 597 km per shipment. (Statistics Canada, February 2020)
• For domestic transportation in 2018, 77.7% of the volume of goods transported within Canada was moved by truck, 22.2% was moved by train, and a negligible volume (0.1%) was moved by air. (Library of Parliament, May 2022)
• In 2020, 54.2% of exports to the United States (as measured in dollars) were shipped by truck; 71.5% of imports from the United States were shipped by truck. (Library of Parliament, May 2022)
• In 2022, large trucks travelled an average of almost 230,000 km per year, compared with 16,500 km for passenger vehicles. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 2022)
• In 2019, the trucking and logistics sector employed 3.6% of Canada’s total workforce. (Library of Parliament, May 2022)
• Since 2009, the number of large trucks in fatal crashes has declined, ranging from 380 to 393. (Transport Canada, 2015)
• Nearly 2,000 Canadians are killed each year and another 10,000 seriously injured in collisions involving a heavy truck (one with a gross vehicle weight greater than 12,000 pounds). Even on a per-distance-travelled basis, large trucks have a fatality rate double the rate of all other vehicles. (The Newfoundland and Labrador Independent, 2018)
• From 2012 to 2019, the numbers of collisions, fatalities, and serious injuries involving commercial vehicles declined by 1.1%, 10.2%, and 17% respectively. These trends were followed by sharp declines in 2020 and partial recoveries in 2021, probably reflecting the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on trucking. See the following chart. (Transport Canada, November 2023)

• From 2012 to 2021, the number of registered commercial vehicles increased by 24%, from 1,052,825 to 1,310,063. As a result, the rates of commercial vehicle collisions, fatalities and serious injuries declined by larger percentages than the raw numbers shown in the above chart. In that period, the collision rate per 10,000 commercial vehicles decreased by 36%, from 429 to 275. The fatality rate per 10,000 commercial vehicles decreased by 32%, from 3.8 to 2.6, and the rate of serious injuries per 10,000 commercial vehicles decreased by 43%, from 10.9 to 6.2. (Transport Canada, November 2023)
• Likewise, estimated vehicle kilometres travelled (VKTs) increased by 30%, from 37.7 billion in 2012 to 48.9 billion in 2021. As a result, from 2012 to 2021, the commercial vehicle collision rate per billion VKTs decreased by 38%, from 1,198 to 737; the fatality rate per billion VKTs decreased by 34%, from 10.6 to 7.0; and the serious injury rate decreased by 46%, from 30.5 to 16.6. (Transport Canada, November 2023)
• The years 2020 and 2021 bucked the longer-term downward trends in a few ways. From 2020 to 2021, the collision rate per 10,000 commercial vehicles increased by 3%, and the serious injury rate increased by 4% in 2020 and by 3% in 2021. (None of the rates per billion VKTs increased in that period, because of a sharp increase in VKTs then.) (Transport Canada, November 2023)
• For commercial vehicles from 2012 to 2021, there were 1,281 fatal collisions for straight trucks, 1,919 fatal collisions for tractor-trailers, and 191 fatal collisions for buses. There were 34,756 serious-injury collisions for straight trucks, 27,581 for tractor-trailers, and 12,783 for buses. Tractor-trailers made up the largest share of fatal collisions, but straight trucks made up the largest share of collisions involving serious injury. See the following two charts. (Transport Canada, November 2023)

• In the period 2012–2021, 63% of fatal commercial vehicle collisions were two-vehicle collisions, 20% were single-vehicle collisions, and 17% were collisions involving more than two vehicles. 62% of commercial vehicle collisions involving injury were two-vehicle collisions, 23% were single-vehicle collisions, and 15% were collisions involving more than two vehicles. (Transport Canada, November 2023)
• In the period 2012–2021, the most frequent configurations of fatal commercial vehicle collisions were head-on collisions (30%), right-angle collisions (12%), and rear-end collisions (12%). For commercial vehicle collisions involving injury, the most frequently occurring configurations were rear-end collisions (27%), other single-vehicle collision configurations (11%), and right-angle collisions (10%). (“Other single-vehicle configurations” refers to single-vehicle collisions that do not fit any of the existing categories of single-vehicle collisions such as hitting a moving object, hitting a stationary object, running off the road, or rolling over.) (Transport Canada, November 2023)
• In the period 2012–2021, the most fatal commercial vehicle collisions per month occurred during the months of August, October and November, whereas January was the month with the most injury collisions. The fewest collisions per month of both types occurred in April. See the following chart. (Transport Canada, November 2023)

• In the period 2012–2021, 70% of fatal commercial vehicle collisions and 78% of commercial vehicle collisions involving injury occurred between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. (Transport Canada, November 2023)
• In the period 2012–2021, most commercial vehicle fatal collisions (74%) occurred on rural roads, while most commercial vehicle injury collisions occurred on urban roads (56%). (Transport Canada, November 2023)
• Of the vehicles involved in fatal commercial vehicle collisions in 2012–2021, 19% were straight trucks, 31% were tractor-trailers and 3% were buses. Of the vehicles involved in injury collisions during that period, 24% were straight trucks, 20% were tractor-trailers and 9% were buses. (Transport Canada, November 2023)
• In the period 2012–2021, more commercial drivers aged 45 to 54 were involved in fatal commercial vehicle collisions than commercial drivers in any other age group. This was true for straight trucks, tractor-trailers and buses. See the following chart. (Transport Canada, November 2023)

• In the period 2012–2021, only about 15% of those killed in commercial vehicle collisions were occupants of the commercial motor vehicle (CMV). Far more were occupants of other vehicles involved in the collision. However, about 29% of those seriously injured in commercial vehicle collisions were occupants of the CMV. See the following two charts. (Transport Canada, November 2023)

• For most fatal and injury commercial collisions, no driver-related contributing factors were identified. Identified driver-related factors were distraction/inattention (8% of fatal collisions, 14% of injury collisions); driving too fast for conditions (5% and 9% respectively); fatigue (1.5% of both fatal and injury collisions); and driving under the influence (1.2% and 0.6% respectively). The incidence of fatigue is likely greatly underestimated because of a lack of objective evidence for fatigue. (Transport Canada, November 2023)
• According to an at-fault analysis, Canadian drivers of large trucks were found to be at fault in just 13% of fatal crashes, compared with 39% for car drivers. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 2022)
• In the fourth quarter of 2021, the average age of commercial vehicles in Canada was 11.6 years. The average age of medium trucks (class 3–6 vehicles) alone was 11.1 years, compared with 11.9 years for heavy trucks (class 7–8 vehicles) alone.
• 3,864 US fatal crashes involved trucks over 10,000 lbs. (FMCSA, 2016)
• As of January 2024, the median annual salary for a Canadian heavy truck driver is $54,273. The salary range is from $38,257 per year (10th percentile) to $75,451 per year (90th percenxtile), not counting bonuses and benefits. (Salary.com, January 2024)

Buses

• In 2021, there were 64,206 buses in Canada, making up 0.3% of all registered motor vehicles. (Statistics Canada, November 2023)
• In 2021, urban transit buses travelled a total of 1,229,984,234 kilometres. (Statistics Canada, June 2023)
• In 2018, students were about 80 times more likely to get to school safely when taking a school bus instead of travelling by car. (Transport Canada, 2019)
• In 2020, school buses accounted for 0.3% of fatal collisions and 0.1% of injury collisions. Transit buses accounted for 0.3% of fatal collisions and 0.4% of injury collisions. Intercity buses accounted for 0.1% of fatal collisions and 0.1% of injury collisions. Buses of unspecified type accounted for 0.1% of fatal collisions and 0.1% of injury collisions. These figures were dwarfed by the rates of fatal and injury collisions for other types of vehicles. (Transport Canada, December 2022)
• Fatalities on school buses account for less than 0.1% of all traffic fatalities in Canada. Between 2009 and 2018, there was just one school bus passenger fatality on Canadian roads. (Transport Canada, 2019)
• As of January 2024, the median annual salary for a Canadian city transit bus driver is $44,091. The salary range is from $33,629 per year (10th percentile) to $56,173 per year (90th percentile), not counting benefits. (Salary.com, January 2024)
• As of January 2024, the median annual salary for a Canadian school bus driver is $38,130. The salary range is from $24,091 per year (10th percentile) to $54,062 per year (90th percentile), not counting benefits. (Salary.com, January 2024)

Taxi/Ridesharing/Limousine

• As of 2012, there were over 50,000 taxi drivers. Immigrants made up almost one-quarter of Canada’s population but about half of Canada’s taxi drivers. (Citizenship and Immigration Canada, 2012) 
• The median taxi driver's salary is $42,285 per year, with a range of between $33,078 per year (25th percentile) and $54,056 per year (75th percentile). (Glassdoor, December 2023)
• According to the 2006 Census (the last time such a comprehensive study of immigrant taxi drivers was done), about 44.1% of taxi drivers and 52.9% of immigrant drivers had at least some postsecondary education. 9% of taxi drivers held a bachelor’s degree; 3% of drivers held a master’s degree; and 0.5% of drivers held a doctorate or medical degree. 
• From 2000 to 2012, taxi drivers had a higher risk of being murdered than workers in any other occupation. Taxi drivers were twice as likely as police officers to be a victim of homicide while working. (CBC News, 2012)
• According to Uber, there were about 100,000 Uber drivers and delivery people (i.e., DoorDash) in Canada in 2022. (Uber, 2022)
• As of December 2023, the average hourly wage of an Uber driver is typically $20.59, but chance earnings can range from $15 to $31 per hour. (Dundas Life, December 2023)
• The effects of ridesharing services on the total number of fatal collisions are unclear. Various researchers have found either positive effects, negative effects, or no significant effects. For example, one study by the University of Chicago and Rice University in 2020 found a 2–3% increase in fatal collisions and fatalities associated with the introduction of ridesharing. However, most of these studies were based on the timing of entry of ridesharing services into certain communities (i.e., what happened in the community after ridesharing started?) and failed to account for the major differences in ridesharing activity among communities. Using proprietary data on ridesharing activity provided by Uber, a study by the US National Bureau of Economic Research in July 2021 found that ridesharing was associated with a 4% reduction in traffic fatalities and a 6.1% reduction in alcohol-related traffic fatalities.

• Previously in this webpage, we saw that in 2020–2021, there was a significant downtick in the percentage of Canadians who commuted by public transit (with a corresponding increase in commuting by car), reversing a prior longer-term increase in the use of public transit.  In that same period, the number of vehicle collisions involving death or injury increased, reversing a downtrend since 2015. In addition, the number of commercial vehicle collision fatalities increased sharply in 2020–2021 (a sharper increase than in any previous year since 2012), reversing a decade-long general downtrend. There is evidence that some of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic may have been responsible for these events.
• First, a survey of 1,203 persons worldwide conducted in May 2020 found that among these people, there had indeed been a significant shift in transportation preference away from public transit back to private cars – not just in North America but worldwide. (70% of the persons surveyed were from South and South-East Asian countries, 15% were from Oceania and Middle-Eastern countries, and 12% were from European and North American countries.) In the survey, those persons who preferred public transport as their primary means of transportation decreased from 36% before the pandemic to 13% during the pandemic. Conversely, those persons who expressed a preference for travel by car increased from 32% before the pandemic to 39% during the pandemic. (University of Management and Technology, Pakistan, July 2020)
• Second, there is objective evidence of significant increases in risky driving behaviours during the height of the pandemic. From April 2020 to March 2021, Canadians drove 13.3% fewer kilometres than the previous 12 months. Despite there being fewer drivers on the roads in 2020, significantly more traffic violations occurred than before. As examples, in New Brunswick, the RCMP issued 16.9% more speeding tickets than in 2019. The Ontario Provincial Police saw a 40.1% increase in the percentage of stunt driving offences over 2019. Edmonton police noted a 200% increase in drivers speeding more than 50 km/h over the speed limit. In Saanich, the number of cars impounded for excessive speeding rose by a remarkable 700%. Toronto Police reported a 35% increase in speeding tickets and an almost 200% increase in stunt driving over 2019. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, December 2021)
• Third, a survey of 2,099 Canadian drivers performed in both September 2020 and May 2021 found that the self-reported incidence of risky driving behaviours had increased significantly: first in September 2020 and then even more so in May 2021. In May 2021, most drivers surveyed stated that they had not changed their driving behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, 7.4% of drivers surveyed admitted that they were now more likely to exceed the speed limit by 20 km/h or more than they had been before the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, 23.1% of drivers stated they were now less likely to engage in excessive speeding, indicating that the range of possible behaviours from drivers had widened. 60.2% of the drivers who had said they would be more likely to speed said it was because fewer vehicles were on the road; 17.5% of those drivers cited fewer police patrols as their reason for speeding. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, December 2021)
• Finally, in the May 2021 survey, 7.4% of the drivers surveyed stated that they were more likely to engage in distracted driving than before the pandemic, whereas 22.9% stated that they were less likely to do so. 12.4% of the drivers surveyed admitted that they were having more trouble focusing on the driving task than before the pandemic. 34% of the drivers who had said they would be more likely to drive distracted cited distracting thoughts as their main distraction; only 21.2% cited texting as their main distraction. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, December 2021)
• In a 2023 survey of Canadian drivers, 30% of drivers surveyed stated that driving had become more dangerous since the COVID-19 pandemic. (Travelers Canada, April 2023)

Seat belts and child restraints

• In 2019, 95% of Canadians wore seat belts in motor vehicles. (Transport Canada, 2019)
• Five lives are saved for every one percent increase in seat belt usage among Canadians. (InsuranceHotline.com, 2011)
• Seat belts save about 1,000 lives each year.  (Canada Safety Council, 2013)
• In 2019, 25.6% of the drivers who were killed in crashes and 10.3% of the drivers who were seriously injured were not wearing seat belts. 29.8% of the passengers who were killed in crashes and 13.3% of the passengers who were seriously injured were not wearing seat belts either. (Transport Canada, April 2023)
• In 2018, 32.1% of the passengers who were killed in crashes and 18.4% of the passengers who were seriously injured were not wearing seat belts. (Transport Canada, 2020)
• Seat belt use is lowest among young males. In a study conducted in the United States in 2021, 88% of drivers aged 16 to 24 were found to be wearing seat belts, compared with 90% of drivers aged 25 to 69 and 92% of drivers aged 70 and older. 92% of female front-seat occupants were observed using their belts, compared with 89% of males. (NHTSA, August 2022)
• Lap-and-shoulder combination seat belts, when used properly, reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passenger car occupants by 45% and the risk of moderate-to-critical injury by 50%. For light-truck occupants, seat belts reduce the risk of fatal injury by 60% and moderate-to-critical injury by 65%. (NHTSA, July 2023)
• If you are not wearing a seat belt, you are 30 times more likely to be ejected from your vehicle during a crash. (Your chances of death are much higher if you are ejected from your vehicle.) (Driver Knowledge, 2019)
• Correctly used child restraints reduce fatalities in passenger cars by 71% for infants (younger than one year old) and by 54% for children aged one to four years. In light trucks, the fatality reductions are 58% for infants and 59% for children aged one to four years. (NHTSA, July 2023)
• For young children, appropriate child safety seats are safer in a crash than adult seat belts alone. Child safety seats reduce fatal injuries by 58–71% for infants (younger than one year of age) and by 54–59% for children aged one to four years, compared with no restraints at all. For children aged one to four years, adult seat belts reduce the risk of death in a crash by just 36%, compared with no restraints at all. (NHTSA, 2009)
• Children 2 through 6 years of age in child safety seats (such as child restraints and booster seats) are about 28% less likely to be fatally injured than those wearing seat belts alone. (University of Michigan School of Public Health, 2006) Children ages 4 through 8 using booster seats are 45% less likely to be injured than children wearing seat belts alone. (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 2009)
• With 45% to 60% effectiveness, seat belts are the single most effective means of reducing the risk of death in a crash. (AAA, 2019)
• Seat belt use in motor vehicles saves an estimated 1,000 lives in Canada each year. (Halton Regional Police Service, January 2021)
• One survey found that in the United States, 91% of front-seat passengers wear seat belts, but only 74% of rear-seat passengers in personal vehicles and 57% in hired vehicles (e.g., taxis) wear seat belts. The most commonly cited reason for not wearing a seat belt in the rear seat was the belief that the rear seat is safer than the front seat. (Actually, modern front-seat safety devices have negated that safety advantage.) (IIHS, 2017) 
• One study found that in modern cars with front-seat safety devices such as airbags, the risk of a restrained passenger dying in a crash was no greater in the front seat than in the rear seat. Furthermore, unrestrained rear-seat passengers were nearly eight times as likely to sustain a serious injury in a crash as restrained rear-seat passengers. (IIHS and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 2015)
• Among killed passenger vehicle occupants with known restraint use, 47% of those in the front row and 57% of those in the second row of seats were unrestrained. (NHTSA, 2017)
• A survey of 9,615 child passengers at intersections across Canada found that 402 children (4.2%) were unrestrained by either child restraints or seat belts. 5.1% of children aged 4 to 8 were unrestrained, as were 4.4% of children aged 9 to 14. 1.6% of infants under one year of age were also unrestrained. Still other children were inappropriately restrained for their ages. Use of age-appropriate child restraints ranged from only 53.5% in Saskatchewan to 91.5% in the Yukon. (Transport Canada, 2010)

Airbags

• According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, airbags can reduce fatalities by 14% when no seat belt is used and by 11% when a seat belt is used in conjunction with airbags. (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 2019)
• A study carried out by the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that for passenger cars struck on the driver's side, the risk of the driver being killed was reduced by 37% in vehicles with side air bags offering head protection and by 26% in vehicles with side air bags providing chest and abdomen protection. (Associated Press, October 2006)
• In March 2019, NHTSA calculated that in the United States, frontal air bags saved an estimated 2,790 lives in 2017 and an estimated total of 25,163 lives from 2008 through 2017. However, the proper use of seat belts saved many more lives: an estimated 14,955 lives in 2017 and an estimated total of 132,411 lives from 2008 through 2017.
• A meta-analysis in 2010 concluded that for drivers wearing seat belts, airbags reduce fatalities in frontal collisions by about 22%. (Brain on Board, 2020)
• From 1990 to 2000, airbags saved about 300 Canadian lives. (Driving.ca, 2017)
• Studies indicate that there may be a correlation between height, weight, and driver injuries from airbags. Shorter (under 160 cm or 5’3”) and lighter (under 55 kg or 121 lb) drivers who sit closer to the steering wheel suffer more injuries from airbags. (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, 2017)
• In general, European airbags hold 35 litres of gas propellant and fully inflate within 25 milliseconds, which means that they expand at anything up to 160 mph. American airbags, usually holding 60 litres of gas, must inflate even faster. (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, 2017)

Other Vehicle Safety Equipment

• 61% percent of bicyclists killed in 2018 were not wearing helmets. Helmet use was unknown for 24%. (IIHS, 2019)
• One study found that electronic stability control (ESC) reduced the risk of being involved in a crash by 7% (95% confidence limits 3–10), the risk of being injured in a crash by 9% (3–14), and the risk of being killed in a crash by 56% (39–68). (IIHS, 2004)
• In the United States in 2015, electronic stability control (ESC) saved an estimated 857 lives among passenger car occupants and an estimated 1,091 light truck and van occupants. From 2000 to 2015, ESC has saved an estimated 7,024 lives. Note that these estimates are only for vehicles with ESC as standard equipment. More lives may have been saved in other vehicles that had been equipped with ESC as an available option. (NHTSA, March 2017)
• Studies have shown that forward collision warning (FCW) reduces rear-end crashes by 23%, while FCW with automatic emergency braking (AEB) reduces them by 39%. (IIHS, 2016)
• Studies have also shown that FCW with AEB reduces the rate of rear-end crashes with injuries by 42%. (IIHS, 2016)
• The biggest drawback of some current FCW systems and AEB systems is too many false alarms. (Consumer Reports, 2019)
• Vehicle owners have found lane departure warning more annoying than other crash avoidance technologies. (IIHS, 2016)
• Australia has found that wearing protective clothing significantly reduces the risk of injury to the rider in a motorcycle crash. Motorcyclists were significantly less likely to be admitted to the hospital if they crashed wearing motorcycle jackets (relative risk = 0.79, 95% confidence interval: 0.69–0.91), pants (RR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.25–0.94), or gloves (RR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.26–0.66). When garments included fitted body armor, there was a significantly reduced risk of injury to the upper body (RR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.66–0.89), hands and wrists (RR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.38–0.81), legs (RR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.40–0.90), feet and ankles (RR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.35–0.83). Non-motorcycle boots were also associated with a reduced risk of injury compared to shoes or joggers (RR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.28–0.75). (University of Sydney Australia et al., 2011)
• Europe has found that motorcycle antilock braking systems (ABS) significantly reduce the risk of crashes involving injury to the rider. The effectiveness of motorcycle ABS in reducing injury crashes ranged from 24% (95% confidence interval [CI], 12–36) in Italy to 29% (95% CI, 20–38) in Spain, and 34% (95% CI, 16–52) in Sweden. The reductions in severe and fatal crashes were even greater, at 34% (95% CI, 24–44) in Spain and 42% (95% CI, 23–61) in Sweden. (Swedish Transport Administration (STA), 2014)
• A study of motorcycle crashes in the United States from 2003 to 2019 found that motorcycle anti-lock brakes (ABS) reduced the rate of fatal crashes by 22% compared with motorcycles without ABS. (IIHS, March 2022)
• According to the National Digital Car Seat Check Form (NDCF) database, more than half of all child car seats inspected by child passenger safety technicians were found to be improperly installed or used. (AAA, 2021)
• A study conducted in Philadelphia in 2007–2008 found that lengthening the traffic lights’ yellow change interval (the amount of time before the red light is displayed) reduced the number of red-light running violations by 36%. Installing red-light cameras and enforcing violations reduced the number of red-light running violations by 96% beyond the 36% reduction attained by adjusting the yellow change intervals. (IIHS, January 2008)
• A 2020 study found that if all new vehicles were equipped with alcohol detection technology, as many as 9,000 lives could be saved each year. An alcohol detection device can measure the driver's blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and prevent the vehicle from starting if the driver's BAC is at or above 0.08%. (IIHS, 2020)

Motorcycles

• The rate of fatal motorcycle crashes is 22% lower for motorcycles with optional anti-lock braking systems (ABS) than for those same models of motorcycle without ABS. (IIHS, 2021)
• ABS was a standard feature on 61% of motorcycles in the 2022 model year, and an optional feature on another 18%. (IIHS, 2023)
• Among motorcyclists (drivers, not passengers) killed in the United States in 2021, 60% were wearing helmets, 37% were not, and the rest were unknown. (IIHS, May 2023)
• In motorcycle crashes in the United States in 2016, wearing a helmet reduced the likelihood of death by 37% for the operator and 41% for the passenger. (NHTSA, 2018)
• Australia has found that wearing protective clothing significantly reduces the risk of injury to the rider in a motorcycle crash. Motorcyclists were significantly less likely to be admitted to the hospital if they crashed wearing motorcycle jackets (relative risk = 0.79, 95% confidence interval: 0.69-0.91), pants (RR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.25-0.94), or gloves (RR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.26-0.66). When garments included fitted body armor, there was a significantly reduced risk of injury to the upper body (RR =0.77, 95% CI: 0.66-0.89), hands and wrists (RR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.38-0.81), legs (RR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.40-0.90), feet and ankles (RR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.35-0.83). Non-motorcycle boots were also associated with a reduced risk of injury compared to shoes or joggers (RR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.28-0.75). (University of Sydney Australia et al., 2011)
• As of February 2024, the laws in every Canadian province and territory require both motorcycle operators and motorcycle passengers to wear helmets when riding a motorcycle. However, British Columbia makes an exception for a member of the Sikh religion who wears a turban. Alberta and Ontario make an exception for a member of the Sikh religion who is at least 18 years old and wears a turban. 

Bicycles and Pedestrians

• In the United States, only about 15% of the bicyclists who were killed in the last few years were wearing helmets. (IIHS, July 2023)
• Wearing a helmet can reduce a bicyclist’s risk of head injury by an estimated 50% and the bicyclist’s risk of head, face, or neck injury by an estimated 33%. (IIHS, 2023) In Canada, from 2006 to 2017, 32% of cyclist fatalities were not wearing helmets at the time. (July 2019)
• A 2018 meta-analysis in Europe found that the use of bicycle helmets reduced head injuries in crashes by 48%, serious head injuries by 60%, traumatic brain injuries by 53%, face injuries by 23%, and the total number of killed or seriously injured bicyclists by 34%. (Institute of Transport Economics, Norway, 2018)
• As of May 2022, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island require bicyclists of all ages to wear helmets. Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario require cyclists under 18 years of age to wear helmets. Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and the Yukon have no helmet requirement, although some individual municipalities there have imposed their own helmet requirements. (Parachute, May 2022)
• A study conducted from August 2014 to May 2015 in several US and Canadian cities found that Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI) signals at intersections could reduce the incidence of collisions with pedestrians by a statistically significant 13%. LPI gives pedestrians an advanced walk signal so they can start to cross the street before vehicles get a green light to proceed.  
• A 2020 study found that pedestrian hybrid beacons (also known as High intensity Activated crossWalk or HAWK beacons) at midblock crossings and uncontrolled intersections can reduce collisions with pedestrians by 55%. (Texas A & M Transportation Institute, 2021)  

Passenger Cars

• One study has found that electronic stability control (ESC) has reduced the risk of being involved in a crash by 7% (95% confidence limits 3-10), the risk of being injured in a crash by 9% (3-14), and the risk of being killed in a crash by 56% (39-68). (IIHS, 2004)
• In 2015, an estimated 1,949 lives were saved by electronic stability control (ESC) in passenger cars so equipped. From 2011 (when ESC was first required on all new cars) to 2015, ESC was estimated to have saved more than 7,000 lives. (NHTSA, March 2017)
• A study found that for vehicles so equipped, forward collision warning (FCW) reduced rear-end car crashes by 27% and rear-end car crashes with injuries by 20%. (IIHS, 2020)
• A study found that for vehicles so equipped, forward collision warning (FCW) reduced the frequency of property damage liability (PDL) claims by 9.0%, collision claim frequency by 3.0%, bodily injury (BI) liability claims by 17.3%, medical payment (MedPay) claims by 19.8%, and personal injury protection (PIP) claims by 10.2%. (IIHS, April 2023)
• A study found that for vehicles so equipped, automatic emergency braking (AEB) reduced the frequency of property damage liability (PDL) claims by 14.0%, collision claim frequency by 3.0%, bodily injury (BI) liability claims by between 3.3% and 30.7% (depending on the make and model of the vehicle), medical payment (MedPay) claims by 4.2%, and personal injury protection (PIP) claims by 4.0%. (IIHS, April 2023)
• A study found that for vehicles so equipped, lane departure warning (LDW) reduced the frequency of property damage liability (PDL) claims by an insignificant 0.2%, collision claim frequency by an insignificant 0.3%, medical payment (MedPay) claims by an insignificant 0.8%%, and personal injury protection (PIP) claims by 5.2%. The frequency of bodily injury (BI) liability claims actually increased by 6.2%. (IIHS, April 2023)
• IIHS and HLDI have found that FCW plus automatic emergency braking (AEB) reduced rear-end car crashes by 50%, rear-end car crashes with injuries by 56%, and large truck rear-end crashes by 41%. (IIHS, 2020)
• IIHS and HLDI have found that lane departure warning systems (LDWS) reduced single-vehicle, sideswipe, and head-on car crashes by 11%; and reduced such crashes with injuries by 21%. (IIHS, 2020)
• IIHS and HLDI have found that blind spot detection systems reduced lane-change car crashes by 14% and reduced lane-change car crashes with injuries by 23%. (IIHS, 2020) 
• IHS and HLDI have found that rear automatic braking reduced car crashes during backing by 78%. (IIHS, 2020)

Trucks

• A 2021 study estimated that for large trucks weighing at least 33,000 pounds, forward collision warning (FCW) and automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems reduce the rate of front-to-rear crashes per mile traveled by 44% and 41% respectively. (IIHS, 2021)
• IIHS estimates that equipping large trucks with FCW will reduce the rate of front-to-rear large truck crashes per mile by 44%. (IIHS, 2021)
• The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) estimates that equipping large trucks with electronic stability control (ESC) may prevent or mitigate as many as 31,000 crashes involving large trucks each year, including up to 20% of moderate-to-serious-injury large truck crashes and 11% of fatal large truck crashes. (IIHS, 2021)
• The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) estimates that equipping large trucks with collision avoidance (blind spot detection, forward collision warning/mitigation, and lane departure warning) as well as electronic stability control (ESC) could reduce crashes by 28%. (IIHS, 2021)
• NHTSA estimates that equipping large truck tractors and large buses with electronic stability control (ESC) could prevent 40-56% of untripped rollovers and 14% of loss-of-control crashes. (A tripped rollover is a rollover caused by a collision with another object, such as a curb.) (IIHS, 2021)

Autonomous Vehicles

• It is forecast that in 2025, about 63% of new cars sold worldwide will have level 2 automation or better. (Level 2 automation employs an automated acceleration and braking system, such as Adaptive Cruise Control, working in conjunction with an automated steering system, such as Lane Keeping Assist. Cars with only Level 1 automation provide either automated acceleration and braking or automated steering at a given time, but not both at the same time.) About 12% of cars sold in 2025 will feature Level 2 Advanced (also known as “Level 2+”) automation. There is no official definition of Level 2 Advanced automation, but it is expected to provide more advanced versions of the capabilities of Level 2 automation. A vehicle equipped with Level 2 Advanced automation may be able to detect pedestrians automatically, for example. About 4% of cars sold in 2025 will be equipped with pilot versions of Level 3 automation. A car equipped with Level 3 automation may be able to change lanes on its own or navigate its way through a complex highway interchange. However, human driver oversight will still be required. By 2030, some cars equipped with Level 4 automation will be available for sale. These cars will be capable of driving entirely on their own, although the driver will still be able to control the vehicle manually if desired. See the following chart. (Counterpoint, November 2022; Statista, March 2023)

• In April 2021, a survey of automobile owners in Canada found that 32% of respondents were excited about the possibility of owning an autonomous vehicle, but 29% were concerned about it. 46% of respondents preferred to remain the driver of the vehicle. 34% of respondents chose Tesla as their most trusted brand in autonomous vehicles. When shopping for an autonomous car in the future, 47% of respondents would choose a Tesla, 31% would choose a BMW, 26% would choose a Honda, and another 26% would choose a Toyota. However, 55% of respondents wanted these brands to be responsible for any accidents. The specific feature most desired by respondents (37%) was autonomous parking. 53% of respondents would like the car to be able to drive them home safety if they were unable to do so (presumably only if they could trust the car to do it safely). Finally, only 14% of respondents were comfortable with the prospect of sharing the road with autonomous delivery trucks or fleets. (CarGurus, June 2021)

Roadside Emergency Response Vehicles

• A study conducted in Alabama in 2021 found that the placement of a truck-mounted electronic flashing variable message (VMS) sign at the roadside made it 95% more likely that drivers in the lane next to the roadside would move over one lane, in accordance with Alabama’s Move Over law. (AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, January 2023)