Diamond & Diamond Lawyers
Car accidents are a driver’s worst nightmare. Unfortunately, they are also a common occurrence in today’s world. Highways that are dangerously congested and crashes at high speeds are inevitable. In 2020, 1,745 people died on Canadian roads.
Analyzing car accident statistics can provide crucial information to prevent you from getting hurt or having an accident. Therefore, Diamond and Diamond Lawyers have gathered the latest Canadian car accidents statistics you should know in 2022.
Topics Covered
01
General Car Accidents Statistics
02
Factors Contributing to Car Accidents
03
Car Accidents Statistics by Canadian Provinces and Territories
04
A Close Look at Demographics
05
Avoid Becoming a Statistic
Key
Findings
- In Canada, the number of road deaths decreased by 47%.
- The annual cost of traffic accidents, including direct and indirect costs, is estimated to be $25 billion.
- 50.5% of the victims of car crashes were the drivers
Speeding contributed to 25.3% of fatal motor vehicle accidents in 2020. - Approximately four Canadians die, and 175 are injured in impairment-related crashes every day.
- Almost half of the Canadian drivers (47%) admit to texting or sending voice messages while driving.
- The number of male crash deaths was 125.5% higher than that of females
General Car Accidents Statistics
0
K
Injuries / Impairment
0
K
Serious Injuries
0
b
Annual Cost of
Traffic Accidents
In Canada, the annual cost of traffic accidents, including direct and indirect costs, is estimated to be $25 billion.
Long-term patterns indicate that car fatalities and serious injuries have dropped over the past few years.
The total number of deaths caused by traffic collisions 2016-2020
Car crashes can affect everyone, including people inside the vehicle and those outside of it.
The Government of Canada’s figures state that in 2020:
50.5%
of the victims of car crashes were the drivers
15.2%
were vehicle passengers
15.2%
were pedestrians
13.9%
were motorcyclists
2.9%
were bicyclists
2.3%
were other/not stated
Factors Contributing to Car Accidents
Several factors contribute to the vast number of car accidents on Canadian roadways. Those factors include risky behaviors such as speeding, impaired driving, and distracted driving.
Speeding
Speeding contributes significantly to traffic fatalities and injuries. Excessive speeding shortens the driver’s reaction time in dangerous situations, lengthens the stopping distance, and reduces the capacity of road safety structures to protect individuals in an accident.
Statistics show that speeding contributed to 25.3% of fatal motor vehicle accidents in 2020.
Impaired driving
Any chemical that impairs driving might be fatal. Driving under the influence of drugs like alcohol, marijuana, and other illegal narcotics is known as impaired driving. Unfortunately, accidents involving drunk drivers still occur in Canada.
Ten federal criminal charges and ten provincial short-term license suspensions are filed on average per hour for driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Approximately four Canadians die, and 175 are injured in impairment-related crashes every day. Looking more closely at the total number of fatalities caused by impaired driving, we can see it contributes to 17.6% of fatal road accidents in Canada.
Distracted driving
Activities that divert attention from driving, such as talking or texting on the phone, eating and drinking, chatting with passengers, or indulging in any other activity, are referred to as distracted driving.
Compared to non-distracted drivers, distracted drivers are eight times more likely to be involved in a crash. Specifically, talking on the phone while driving increases the risk of an accident by four times.
Car Accidents Statistics by Canadian Provinces and Territories
We have also examined vehicle accident fatalities and injuries in Canadian provinces and territories to give you a sense of the scope of the issue.
A Close Look at Demographics
To dive deeper, we will cover car accidents statistics by generation and gender.
Car Accidents Statistics by Generation
Generations involved in car accidents
24%
Baby Boomers
13.8%
GenX
34.4%
Millennials
22.9%
GenZ
Avoid Becoming a Statistic
The above car accident statistics are alarming, but there are things you can do to reduce your chance of harm or accident and be a safer driver. Here are some pointers that we suggest:
Slow down
Research continues to demonstrate that slowing down saves lives. Always choose a safe speed based on the constantly shifting road conditions rather than the speed limit.
Maintain your car
Vehicle defects can be a cause of car crashes. Avoid these by regularly visiting the mechanic and fixing issues as they arise.
Limit distractions
To keep everyone safe, avoid using your phone, and keep other distractions – like eating or playing loud music – to a minimum.