The Ultimate List of Canada Driving Statistics for 2023

• Canada's road network spans almost 900,000 km, longer than a round trip to the Moon. (Transport Canada, 2015)
• In Canada, there are about 8 million registered passenger vehicles. (Diamond & Diamond Lawyers, 2017)
• In 2018, the distribution of licensed drivers by gender and age was as follows: (source: Transport Canada, 2020)

• In 2009, 3.25 million Canadians aged 65 and over - three-fourths of all Canadian seniors - had a driver's licence. (Statistics Canada, 2012)

• According to a survey of Canadian senior drivers in 2009, a majority of 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 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)
• In 2008, there were 700,000 trucks, 420,000 of which were used to carry freight commercially on a regular basis. About 500,000 were straight trucks, and the other 200,000 were tractor-trailers. (Statistics Canada, 2008)
• In 2008, over 227,000 Canadians were truck drivers, making it one of the top occupations in the country. (Statistics Canada, 2008)
• 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)

Speeding Statistics

• 27% of traffic fatalities on Canadian roads are the direct result of speeding. (Carsurance.net, 2020)
• 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.
• National data shows that even a 10-mph speed increase ups the risk of a crash by 9.1%. (Fortune, 2016)
• Teens do not consider driving at 5 to 10 mph above the speed limit to be dangerous. (Texas A&M Transportation Institute, 2019)

Accident Statistics

• In Canada, there are 160,000 car accidents each year, of which 2,800-2,900 result in deaths. (Canadian Transportation Safety Board, 2017)
• Crash risk is highest during the first year that drivers are licensed. (CDC, 2018)
• Out of nearly six million vehicular crashes that occur every year in the United States, approximately 22% are weather-related. (FHWA, 2017)
• In both Canada and the United States, rear-end crashes are the most frequently occurring type of collision, accounting for almost 30% of all crashes. (NHTSA, 2017; Greg Monforton and Partners, 2020)
• 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)
• In Canada, economic losses caused by traffic collision-related health care costs and lost productivity are at least $10 billion annually. This represents about 1% of Canada's annual Gross Domestic Product. (Government of Canada)
• In 2019, there were 174 railway crossing incidents, resulting in 29 fatalities and 29 serious injuries. There were also 56 railway trespassing incidents, resulting in 38 fatalities and 17 serious injuries. The greatest number of incidents occurred in Ontario: 47 railway crossing incidents (27% of the Canada total) and 21 trespassing incidents (38% of the Canada total). (Operation Lifesaver Canada, 2020)

Driving Ability Statistics

• More than 90% of road crashes are the result of human error or condition. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 2019)

Aggressive Driving Statistics

• A web 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 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)
• Male and younger drivers ages 19-39 were significantly more likely to engage in aggressive behaviours. (AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 2016)

Pedestrian Safety Statistics

• 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)
• 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 Statistics

• Over 45,000 non-fatal collisions with wildlife occur each year. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 2020)

Winter Driving Statistics

• Typically, in the months of December and January, automobile accidents increase by 3.1-4.7% and insurance claims increase by almost 49%. (Waterdown Collision, 2014)
• 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 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)
• 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 Statistics

• 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 within 20 minutes, the air temperature in a previously air-conditioned small car exposed to the sun on a 35 °C day (95 °F) exceeded 50 °C (122 °F). Within 40 minutes, the temperature soared to 65.5 °C (150 °F). Leaving a window slightly open did little to prevent the inside of the vehicle from becoming dangerously hot.
• 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)
• Five lives are saved for every one percent increase in seat belt usage among Canadians. (InsuranceHotline.com, 2011)

General Driving-Related Injuries and Fatalities

• Every year, roughly 1.3 million people die in car accidents worldwide - an average of 3,287 deaths per day. (SaferAmerica, 2019)
• 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 the European Union, there were 25,100 road fatalities in 2018, a decline of 21% compared with 2010. This represents an average of 49 road deaths per one million inhabitants. By this measure, the European Union's roads are the safest in the world. (European Commission, 2019)
• In 2018, there were 1,922 motor vehicle fatalities in Canada, an increase of 3.6% from 2017 (1,856). (Transport Canada, 2020)
• In 2018, the number of motor vehicle fatalities per 100,000 population increased slightly to 5.2 in 2018 (from 5.0 in 2017) yet is still the second lowest on record. In 2018, the number of fatalities per billion vehicle kilometres travelled slightly increased to 4.9 (from 4.8 in 2017); this figure is also the second lowest recorded. (Transport Canada, 2020)
• In 2018, the number of motor vehicle serious injuries decreased to 9,494, down 6.1% from 2017 (10,107). (Transport Canada, 2020)
• In 2018, the motor vehicle fatality rate was 0.77 fatalities per 10,000 motor vehicles registered. (Transport Canada, 2020)
• In 2008, Canada was ranked tenth in terms of fatalities per billion vehicle kilometres travelled, compared with other member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). See the following chart. (Road Safety Canada Consulting, March 2011)

• 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)

Fatalities by Location

• Death rates from road traffic accidents are three times higher in low-income countries than in high-income countries. (WHO, 2018)
• In 2018, the distributions of collisions involving fatalities and those involving personal injuries by location were as follows: (Transport Canada, 2020)

• 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)
• 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)

Fatalities by type of road user

• More than half of all road traffic deaths worldwide are among pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. (WHO, 2018)
• In 2018 in Canada, the distributions of motor vehicle fatalities and serious injuries by type of road user were as follows: (Transport Canada, 2020)

Note that in 2018, motorcycles represented only about 3% of registered vehicles but accounted for 11% of motor vehicle fatalities and 12% of serious injuries.

• In Ontario, in 2014, 175 motorcyclists were killed in crashes. The vast majority (158) of those crashes occurred on dry roads. Motorcyclists aged 45 to 54 accounted for 87 of these deaths, more than any other age group. In 50 of those fatal crashes, the motorcyclist was operating his or her motorcycle properly; that is, the other driver was likely at fault. (Ontario Provincial Police, 2014)
• 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)
• 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 in 2006 to 1.3 deaths per 1,000,000 population. 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 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)
• The following charts show the distribution of fatalities and serious injuries by age group. (Transport Canada, 2020)

• 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 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 Statistics

• 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 2016, distraction was a contributing factor in 21% of collisions resulting in death and 27% of collisions resulting in serious injury. (Canada Safety Council, 2019)
• 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)
• 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 number while driving increases a teen's risk of crashing by six times. (NHTSA, 2018)
• 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)
• Newfoundland (2002) was the first province to enact a ban on the use of hand-held cell phones, and Alberta (2011) was the last. (HandsFreeInfo.com, 2020)

Texting and Driving Accident Statistics

• Texting while driving increases the risk of crashing by 23 times. (NHTSA, 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)
• 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-Impaired Driving Statistics

• 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 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 BC) involved a drinking driver. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 2018)
• 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 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-Impaired Driving Statistics

• 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)
• 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)
• According to a CAA poll, 26% of Canadians aged 18-34 said they had driven while high on cannabis or had travelled in a vehicle whose driver was high on cannabis. (CAA, 2019)
• 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)
• 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%. (In Canada, the legal limit for BAC is under 0.08%.) (University of Iowa, 2000)

Fatigued Driving Statistics

• 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 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 a Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police report, 20% of fatal collisions are caused by drowsy drivers. (Carsurance.net, 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)

• The common cold can increase a driver’s reaction time about as much as a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% (which constitutes legal intoxication in most states). This does not include possible additional driving impairment from medications taken to treat the common cold. (Cardiff University, 2012)

Teen Accident Statistics

• In 2013, 170 Canadians aged 15-19 died in car crashes, and 15,821 Canadians aged 15-19 were injured, many seriously. (Desjardins Insurance, 2020)
• 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)
• 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)
• As of 2008, 350 drivers aged 15-19 were killed each year in road crashes and 24,000 were injured, many seriously. In addition, 350 drivers aged 20-24 were killed each year and 26,000 injured. 80% of these deaths and injuries occurred to young people as drivers or passengers. The rest of the deaths and injuries occurred to them as pedestrians or bicyclists. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 2008)
• 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 Accident Statistics

• Senior drivers often try to reduce their risk of injury by wearing safety belts, observing speed limits, and not drinking and driving. (AAA, 2019)
• Senior drivers are more likely to hurt themselves than to put others at risk. (EU Mobility & Transport, 2019)
• The fatality rate for drivers over 75 is more than five times higher than the average, and their injury rate is twice as high. (EU Mobility & Transport, 2019)
• Elderly drivers make up for physical disadvantages through their driving experience. (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 2018, there were more traffic fatalities among adult drivers age 65 or older (430; 20.6% of the total) than among any other age group. There were more serious injuries among adult drivers aged 25-34 (1,667; 20.5% of the total) than among any other age group. (Transport Canada, 2020)
• A study of vehicle crashes in Canada from 1990 to 2012 found that the elderly made up 5.8% of the population but 18.5% of all pedestrian fatalities. (Vanlaar et al., Journal of Safety Research, September 2016)

Trucking Statistics

• In 2014, large trucks made up 4% of all registered vehicles in Canada. (Statistics Canada, 2015)
• In 2012, large trucks were driven an average of almost 28,000 km per year, compared with 14,600 km for passenger vehicles. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 2020)
• 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)
• The average age of a trucker is 49. (Business Insider, 2016)
• 3,864 US fatal crashes involved trucks over 10,000 lbs. (FMCSA, 2016)
• In 2017, the average annual pay for a US truck driver was $42,480 per year. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018)

Bus Driving Statistics

• As of 2018, students are about 80 times more likely to get to school safely when taking a school bus instead of travelling by car. (Transport Canada, 2019)
• Fatalities on school buses account for less than 0.1% of all traffic fatalities in Canada. In the last decade, between 2009 and 2018, there was just one school bus passenger fatality on Canadian roads. (Transport Canada, 2019)

Taxi/Ridesharing/Limousine Statistics

• 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 average taxi driver's salary is $27,950 per year or $14.33 per hour. Entry-level positions start at $22,815 per year; the most experienced drivers make up to $47,515 per year. (Neuvoo.ca, 2020)
• As of 2006, 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 any other occupation. Taxi drivers were twice as likely as police officers to be a victim of homicide while working. (CBC News, 2012)
• In 2019, there were about 90,000 Uber drivers in Canada. (MoneySense, 2019)
• In Canada, the average hourly wage of an Uber driver is about $25.88. (Indeed.com, 2020)

Seat belt Statistics

• As of 2013, 93% of Canadians wore seat belts in motor vehicles. However, the remaining 7% accounted for almost 40% of collision fatalities. (Canada Safety Council, 2013)
• Seat belts save about 1,000 lives each year. (Canada Safety Council, 2013)
• In 2018, 29.4% of the drivers who were killed in crashes and 10.8% of the drivers who were seriously injured were not wearing seat belts. (Transport Canada, 2020)
• 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)
• The groups of drivers who are least likely to wear seat belts are young males and drivers aged 18-24.
• With 45% to 60% effectiveness, seat belts are the single most effective means of reducing the risk of death in a crash. (AAA, 2019)
• If you are not wearing a seat belt, you are 30 times more likely to be ejected from your vehicle during a crash. (Your chance of death is much higher if you are ejected from your vehicle.) (Driver Knowledge, 2019)
• Seat belt use in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 14,668 lives in the US. (NCSA, 2016)
• 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)

Airbags Statistics

• According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the fatality-reducing effectiveness for airbags is 14% when no seat belt is used and 11% when a seat belt is used in conjunction with airbags. Side airbags, which protect the head, chest, and abdomen, reduce driver deaths by an estimated 37%. (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 2019)
• A meta-analysis in 2010 concluded that for drivers wearing seat belts, airbags reduce fatality 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, have to inflate even faster. (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, 2017)

Other Vehicle Safety Equipment Statistics

• In motorcycle crashes in 2016, wearing a helmet reduced the likelihood of death by 37% for the operator and 41% for the passenger. (NHTSA, 2018)
• 61% percent of bicyclists killed in 2018 were not wearing helmets. Helmet use was unknown for 24%. (IIHS, 2019)
• 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)
• 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)