The effects of psychodynamic drugs such as cannabis, amphetamine, cocaine, and anti-depressants on driving vary by type of drug. They generally result in slower reaction time, failure to identify danger, poor decision-making, and falling asleep at the wheel. For more…
The effects of alcohol on drivers are delays in identifying and responding to danger. Alcohol also increases drowsiness and the likelihood of falling asleep at the wheel. Prevalence: In 2021, according to investigating police officers, 18% of fatal collisions involved…
Collisions and injuries –some of them fatal – very often occur at intersections. The victims are often the most vulnerable road users (i.e., children, older pedestrians, and bicyclists). If not killed outright, victims can suffer serious and sometimes devastating, lifelong…
To expand on one of the components of the Safe System Approach, “Safe Speeds” have been emphasized since there is a direct correlation between vehicle speed and the likelihood of crash occurrence, seriousness of injury and the odds of a…
The goal of Vision Zero, first implemented by Sweden in 1997, is to eliminate deaths and serious injuries from road transportation. Achieving this goal will require the adoption of a Safe System Approach that considers the mental and physical capacities…
Canada’s current strategy for road safety, Road Safety Strategy 2025, was published by the Canadian Council for Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA) in January 2016 and is described in a document entitled Towards Zero: Canada’s Road Safety Strategy 2025. The objectives…
During 2023, the most recent year for which traffic collision data are available from Transport Canada’s National Collision Database (NCDB), there were 1,964 fatalities and 9,261 seriously injured people requiring hospitalization as a result of traffic collisions. Canadian Motor Vehicle Traffic…
Road safety can be defined as the absence of risk of harm to road users in the road transportation system, including sidewalks and pathways. In a perfectly safe system, no injuries would be sustained. However, due to a multitude of…
The Canadian Vehicle Specifications (CVS) consists of a database of original vehicle dimensions, used primarily in collision investigation and reconstruction, combined with a search engine. The database is compiled annually by the Collision Investigation and Research Division of Transport Canada….
Walk Your Child to School Today is a programme that aims to get children to walk to and from school while accompanied by adults. Young children have limited capabilities to judge the speed and distance of traffic and may not…
Over the last 10 years, more than 18,000 people have died in motor vehicle crashes in Canada. These crashes generally don’t grab national headlines. Unless you’ve lost a friend or family member, you might not even hear about them, but…
School bus transportation is incredibly safe, but does that mean seat belts are not necessary on school buses? Dr. Alan German, Chief of Collision Investigations in the Road Safety Directorate at Transport Canada, led a discussion surrounding seat belts and…
The University of New Brunswick Transportation Group has developed a set of guidelines for the construction of road safety audits within a Canadian context. The document, available in portable document format (PDF), contains a description of existing practices, audit process,…
Transport Canada’s Motor Vehicle Safety Directorate works with industry and government partners to make Canada’s roads the safest in the world. Governed by the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Act and the Motor Vehicle Transport Act, we propose, apply and enforce…
If you own a vehicle, you know how important it is to keep it in good repair. You want your vehicle to be as safe to drive now as it was when it was new. But what if “good as…
Transport Canada has conducted extensive tests on side air bags with child crash test dummies. While testing is still ongoing, two main conclusions stand out: Children who are leaning against a side air bag when it inflates are at risk…
Modern vehicles may be equipped with multiple air bags and seat belt pre-tensioners which are pyrotechically operated. Such devices are deployed extremely rapidly and inadvertent deployment may result in injury to individuals in close proximity. Since not all of these…
Many communities offer free car seat inspections to assist parents and caregivers on the proper installation of child restraints. To find out about these services in your community, please contact: Transport Canada.
Since 1994 there has been active and close collaboration between representatives of governments and industry in both Canada and the United States in pursuit of developing and implementing uniform regulatory requirements for securement of cargo on highway transport vehicles. New…
Road vehicles dominate passenger travel and freight traffic. However, prior to the Canadian Vehicle Survey, no measures of total vehicle-kilometres or passenger-kilometres were available. The Canadian Vehicle Survey was developed at the request of Transport Canada to fill this data…