Canadian Motor Vehicle Traffic Collision Statistics: 2004

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Table of Contents

The decline in police reporting in British Columbia in the years 1996 through 2004 has affected the British Columbia totals and, to a lesser extent, national totals reported in this publication.

To find out more about national road safety programs or initiatives, call Transport Canada toll free at 1-800-333-0371 or e-mail us at roadsafetywebmail@tc.gc.ca. You can also visit our site Motor Vehicle Safety or the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators.

Road Safety and Motor Vehicle
Regulation Directorate
Transport Canada
Tower C, Place de Ville
330 Sparks Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0N5

Collisions and Casualties - 1985-2004

 

Collisions

Victims

Year

Fatal Footnote 1

Personal Injury Footnote 2

Fatalities Footnote 3

Serious
Injuries Footnote 4

Injuries Footnote 5
(Total)

1985

3,774

179,704

4,362 Footnote r

27,057

259,264 Footnote r

1986

3,510

184,053

4,063 Footnote r

27,157

265,160 Footnote r

1987

3,729

193,237

4,283 Footnote r

28,000

280,605 Footnote r

1988

3,610

190,094

4,154

28,031

278,820 Footnote r

1989

3,651

192,595

4,238 Footnote r

27,422

284,937

1990

3,445

178,515

3,963

25,183

262,680

1991

3,228

170,693

3,690

26,035

249,217

1992

3,073

169,640

3,501

25,521

249,823 Footnote r

1993

3,121

168,106

3,615

23,902

247,593 Footnote r

1994

2,869

166,780

3,263

22,830

245,110

1995

2,854

164,190

3,351

21,494

241,935

1996

2,708

156,282

3,091

20,170

230,894 Footnote r

1997

2,646 Footnote r

150,118

3,063 Footnote r

19,027

221,499 Footnote r

1998

2,612

148,414

2,949

18,460

217,901 Footnote r

1999

2,636

151,110

2,985

17,582

222,579 Footnote r

2000

2,569

156,000

2,927

17,283

227,516 Footnote r

2001Footnote *

2,434

151,834

2,781

16,997

221,121

2002

2,593

157,074

2,931 Footnote r

17,830

227,983 Footnote r

2003

2,484 Footnote r

154,420 Footnote r

2,766 Footnote r

17,730

222,455 Footnote r

2004*

2,434

148,866

2,730

17,533

212,347

Fatalities and Injuries by Age Group

Age 
Group

Fatalities

Serious 
Injuries

Injuries
(Total)

0 - 4

13

292

2,717

5 - 14

79

896

11,729

15 - 19

303

2,275

25,596

20 - 24

392

2,499

28,021

25 - 34

419

2,990

37,760

35 - 44

386

2,714

35,870

45 - 54

343

2,302

29,677

55 - 64

271

1,438

17,197

65 +

489

1,717

16,363

Not stated

35

410

7,417

Total

2,730

17,533

212,347

Note: The "Serious Injuries" for British Columbia are estimated for January, February and March 2004.

Fatalities by Road User Class - 2000-2004

Road User Class

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

Drivers

#

1,467

1,443

1,515Footnote r

1,427Footnote r

1,419

 

%

50.1

51.9

51.7

51.6

52.0

Passengers

#

749

654

712

649Footnote r

657

 

%

25.6

23.5

24.3

23.5

24.1

Pedestrians

#

372

335

368

379Footnote r

366

 

%

12.7

12.0

12.6

13.7

13.4

Bicyclists

#

40

60

63

44Footnote r

56

 

%

1.4

2.2

2.0

1.6

2.0

Motorcyclists Footnote *

#

173

157

172

177Footnote r

199

 

%

5.9

5.6

5.9

6.4

7.3

Not stated/Other

#

126

132

101

90Footnote r

33

 

%

4.3

4.7

3.4

3.3

1.2

Total

#

2,927

2,781

2,931Footnote r

2,766Footnote r

2,730

  %

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

Fatalities - 1985-2004

 

Casualty Rates

  Per 100,000 Population Per Billion Vehicle-Kilometres* Per 100,000 Licensed Drivers

Fatalities

Injuries

Fatalities

Injuries

Fatalities

Injuries

Canada

8.5

664.7

8.8

680.8

12.6

979.8

N.L.

7.2

516.6

9.7

699.1

10.8

779.2

P.E.I.

20.3

681.1

22.6

759.5

28.8

964.6

N.S.

9.6

546.2

9.4

533.2

13.7

776.5

N.B.

9.4

562.4

9.6

572.9

13.4

800.0

Que.

8.6

740.9

9.0

778.0

13.7

1,182.9

Ont.

6.5

588.7

6.6

599.8

9.3

842.9

Man.

8.5

796.3

9.5

890.8

14.3

1,343.0

Sask.

12.7

745.2

11.0

647.1

18.8

1,107.4

Alta.

12.1

757.3

9.9

621.5

16.2

1,015.1

B.C.

10.2

694.3

12.4

842.4

15.0

1,019.2

Y.T.

16.0

679.3

9.4

397.4

21.4

907.0

N.W.T.

7.0

352.7

9.6

485.2

9.7

487.8

Nvt.

3.4

222.6

33.7

2,222.2

n.a.

n.a.

*  Statistics Canada, 'Canadian Vehicle Survey', Catalogue No. 53-223-XIE.

Note:    Data for Ontario are preliminary for 2004.  
There is no official abbreviation for Nunavut at this time. The abbreviation used here is provisional.

n.a.   Licensed driver data is not available for Nunavut.

Percentage of Fatally Injured Drivers Tested and Found to Have Been Drinking

 

* BAC :  Blood Alcohol Concentration.

mg %:  Weight of alcohol in the bloodstream stated as milligrams in 100 millilitres of blood.

Note:  BAC categories are reported as 81-160 mg % and > 160 mg % for 2001 and 2002. 2003 data were not available at the time of publication.

Source:  Traffic Injury Research Foundation.

Percentage of Driver and Passenger Fatalities and Serious Injuries Where Victims Were not Using Seat Belts - 2000-2004

 

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

Drivers 

Fatalities

36,8

38,7

36,4

36,8

36,0

Serious Injuries

15,5

16,0

13,2

14,6

14,6

 

Passengers 

Fatalities

35,2

41,1

33,9

37,4

35,3

Serious Injuries

21,4

23,1

19,1

19,8

21,2

Note: "Serious Injuries" include victims admitted to hospital for treatment or observation.
"Serious Injuries" prior to 2004 do not include British Columbia.  The percentage of "Serious Injuries" for British Columbia are estimated for January, February and March 2004.

Number of Collisions by Location

Location

Fatal

Personal Injury

Urban 1

894

105,227

Rural 2

1,515

41,533

Not stated

25

2,106

Total

2,434

148,866

1 Urban includes:

  1. metropolitan roads and streets and other urban areas, or
  2. a speed limit at the collision site of 60 km/h or less.

2 Rural includes:

  1. primary or secondary highways, as well as local roads, or
  2. a speed limit at the collision site exceeding 60 km/h .

Note:  In Alberta, "Urban" includes any area within the boundaries of a city, town, village or hamlet. "Rural" includes any area outside of what is defined as "Urban".

Percentage of Fatalities and Serious Injuries by Road User Class

Road User Class

Fatalities

Serious Injuries

Drivers

52.0

50.1

Passengers

24.1

27.3

Pedestrians

13.4

9.9

Bicyclists

2.0

3.3

Motorcyclists

7.3

7.6

Not Stated/Other

1.2

1.8

Total

100.0

100.0

Note: The percentage of "Serious Injuries" for British Columbia are estimated for January, February and March 2004.

Percentage of Driver and Passenger Fatalities and Serious Injuries by Age Group

  Fatalities Serious Injuries
Age Group Drivers Passengers Drivers Passengers
0 - 4 0.0 1.4 0.0 5.0
5 - 14 0.2 7.7 0.6 9.5
15 - 19 8.8 19.0 10.6 19.0
20 - 24 14.6 15.5 15.0 15.0
25 - 34 17.5 12.0 20.0 13.6
35 - 44 17.0 9.5 18.8 9.9
45 - 54 14.9 9.6 15.7 8.6
55 - 64 11.1 7.7 9.5 5.7
65 + 15.4 16.6 9.5 9.9
Not Stated 0.5 1.0 0.3 3.8
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Note: The percentage of "Serious Injuries" for British Columbia are estimated for January, February and March 2004.

Number of Licensed Drivers by Gender and by Age

This table of licensed drivers was revised to correct an error in the reporting of male and female drivers in one jurisdiction. The print version of the 2004 pamphlet will not be reproduced.

Number of Licensed Drivers by Gender and by Age

Age Group Males Females Total*

< 16

26,672

17,243

43,915

16 - 19

549,233

483,104

1,032,339

20 - 24

921,898

844,074

1,765,983

25 - 34

1,965,880

1,864,267

3,830,149

35 - 44

2,422,725

2,279,595

4,702,331

45 - 54

2,307,211

2,150,297

4,457,527

55 - 64

1,623,717

1,438,695

3,062,424

65 +

1,549,126

1,229,583

2,778,722

Total*

11,366,473

10,306,860

21,673,403

*Gender and/or age was not stated for 70 drivers.

Licensed Drivers and Motor Vehicle Registrations by Type of Vehicle - 1985-2004

  Licensed Drivers 1 Passenger Automobiles Commercial Vehicles 2 Motorcycles 3
1985

15,964

11,118

3,213

487

1986

16,226

11,586

3,285

465

1987

16,927

11,686

3,659

448

1988

17,155

12,086

3,850

400

1989

17,592

12,380

3,962

378

1990

17,718

12,622

4,000

359

1991

18,090

12,578

3,516

350

1992

18,465

12,781

3,461

339

1993

18,843

12,925

3,455

337

1994

19,243

13,131

3,510

330

1995

19,327

13,192

3,535

320

1996

19,964

13,251

3,620

312

1997

20,148

13,515

3,684

319

1998

20,744e

13,887

3,767

334

1999

20,934

16,538

722

274

2000

20,593

16,832

739

311

2001

20,879

17,055

729

318

2002

21,163

17,543

724

350

2003

21,436

17,755

740

373

2004

21,673

17,920

752

409

1 Excludes temporary permits prior to 1999.

2 Pre-1999, these registrations include trucks, buses and other commercial vehicles, such as vans.  From 1999, these registrations include commercial vehicles (trucks and buses) greater than 4 500 kg .

3 Includes mopeds.

e Estimated.

Source: 1985 to 1998: Statistics Canada, Catalogue No 53-219, "Road Motor Vehicles - Registrations". From 1999, motor vehicle registration data are from Statistics Canada, CANSIM, Table 405-0004. From 1999, licensed driver data were provided by each jurisdiction.