Many new vehicles sold today in Canada are equipped with a wide array of advanced safety systems intended to prevent collisions entirely or to reduce the seriousness of their consequences. Since the 1990s, anti-lock braking systems (ABS) have been mandatory…
Because of their age and inexperience, young and novice drivers are more likely to be involved in fatal collisions. Prevalence: According to Transport Canada’s National Collision Database (NDDC)[1], the fatal collision rate per 100,000 licensed drivers aged 15-19 in 2008…
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on road safety in Canada and around the world is not yet clear. However, due to physical distancing rules intended to stop the spread of the virus, fewer people drive for work, social or…
Prevalence: Weather directly affects drivers’ ability to control their vehicles. Increased crash risk due to weather is quantified in multiple ways leading to different estimates. According to the Transport Canada’s National Collision Database, in 2019, approximately one in four fatal…
Pedestrians, motorcyclists, and bicyclists are considered to be vulnerable road users since they do not have the protective shell of a vehicle in case of a collision. Prevalence: In 2019, 31 percent of collision fatalities in Canada were vulnerable road…
When in control of a motor vehicle, a driver’s attention needs to be focused on controlling the vehicle and preventing crashes. Secondary activities like eating, talking to passengers, and talking or texting on mobile devices (e.g., cell phones or smartphones)…
The effects of psychodynamic drugs such as cannabis, amphetamine, cocaine, and anti-depressants on driving vary by drug. They generally result in slower reaction time, failure to identify danger, poor decision-making, and falling asleep at the wheel. (For more information see:…
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 2019, according to investigating police officers, 18 percent of traffic fatalities…
Collisions and injuries –some of them fatal – very often occur at intersections. The victims are usually the most vulnerable road users (i.e., children, older pedestrians, and bicyclists). If not killed outright, victims can suffer serious and sometimes devastating, lifelong…
Countermeasures: The goal of countermeasures is to reduce speeds to levels where any impact that occurs can be tolerated by the human body. One effective way to achieve this goal is through road network planning and design. On major roads,…
The goal of Vision Zero is to completely eliminate deaths and serious injuries from road transportation. Achieving this goal will require a Safe System Approach that considers the mental and physical capacities of humans and creates road transportation systems designed…
More information about the strategy, including its guiding principles, primary risk groups, and other aspects of the strategy, can be found at: https://roadsafetystrategy.ca/en/strategy A growing number of provincial, territorial, regional, and municipal jurisdictions have also developed formal strategies in support…
During 2019, the most recent year for which traffic collision data are available from Transport Canada’s National Collision Database (NCDB), there were 1,761 fatalities and 8,436 seriously injured people requiring hospitalization as a result of traffic collisions. Canadian Motor Vehicle…
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…