Motor Vehicle Safety - Data & Statistics
Road Users – Data & Statistics
Long-term trends show significant reductions in the number of road casualties, even as Canadians are driving more kilometers than ever before.
- In the last decade (2010-2019), vehicle kilometres driven have increased by 21%.
- Despite this, fatalities are down by 21%, and serious injuries are down by 28%. Driving is becoming safer.
- Commercial motor vehicle occupant fatalities decreased by 26%.
- Light duty vehicle occupant fatalities decreased by 28%.
- Vulnerable road user fatalities (pedestrians, cyclists, moped/ motorcyclists) declined by 4%.
Chart: Comparison of Fatalities, Serious Injuries and Vehicle Kilometers traveled, number of Vehicles – Indexed (2010-2019) (2010 = 100)
This chart shows indexed counts of fatalities, serious Injuries, vehicle kilometres travelled, and number of vehicles, by year.
Chart: Fatalities by Road User groups index (2010-2019) (2010 = 100)
This chart shows indexed counts of fatalities by road user group including commercial motor vehicle occupants, and light duty vehicle occupants and vulnerable road users, by year.
Driver behaviour was a contributing factor in approximately 85% of casualty collisions.
- Speeding (24%), impairment (19%) and distraction (21%) are the leading contributing factors in fatal collisions.
- This costs our economy ~$41 billion per year (2.1% of Canada’s GDP).
Despite an overall downward trend, fatalities and injuries on Canadian roads continue to be pervasive. According to TC’s National Collision Database:
- There are ~580,000 collisions annually– an average of about 5 fatalities daily – in Canada.
- Preliminary data suggests ~4.4 fatalities, and 21.2 serious injuries, per billion vehicle kilometers travelled.
- 2019 data shows there were ~1,761 road deaths and over 141,000 injuries (all types) on Canada’s roads.
TC’s core functions aimed at addressing this challenge include: research and testing to support regulatory development; establishing regulations and standards; and monitoring and enforcing regulatory compliance.
In particular, under the MVSA, manufacturers must notify Transport Canada when they are aware of a defect that may endanger the safety of persons. TC investigates and takes action by:
- requiring a manufacturer to issue a notice of defect or non-compliance, and order a recall;
- publishing notices and recalls on the Department’s website; and
- sharing this information with PTs, which have the responsibility to make decisions concerning whether to remove vehicles from service based on risks to public safety.
Chart: Comparison of fatalities where impaired driving, distracted driving, and speeding were a contributing factor (2009-2018) (2009=100)
This chart shows indexed counts of fatalities that occurred in collisions where impaired driving, distracted driving, and speeding were noted as a contributing factor, by year.
School Bus – Fatalities Data & Statistics
School Bus Safety
- School buses have an excellent safety record and are the safest way to transport children to and from school, more so than any other means of transportation.
- Of the (25) school aged fatalities involving a school bus between 1999 and 2019:
- 76% (19 instances) - children outside the bus, in/near loading zone.
- Of these 19 exterior fatalities, 79% (15 instances) were caused by the bus itself. 21% (4 casualties) were caused by another vehicle.
- Six (6) of the 25 fatalities over this 20 year period were school bus passengers.
Figure: School Age Passenger Fatalities and Injuries
This table shows the counts of school aged passenger fatalities and injuries that occurred on school buses and passenger vehicles, during school hours.
| School Age Passenger Fatalities | School Age Passenger Injuries | |
|---|---|---|
|
School Bus Passenger |
6 |
3,811 |
|
Passenger Vehicle |
380 |
62,878 |
NCDB 1999 to 2018 *Note: data was filtered for school-related travel, ie, week- days from Sept to June during school hours (6:00am-9:59am) & (2:00pm-5:59pm)
*2018 data were estimated
School bus passenger fatalities account for less than 0.1% of all motor vehicle related deaths involving school children in Canada.
Aviation Safety and Security - Data & Statistics
Aviation – General Statistics
By the numbers
- 36,903 Canadian registered aircraft
- 33,442 licensed pilots (currently holding valid aviation medical certificates)
- 2,381 air carriers
- 28.5% (678) Approved Domestic Operators
- 71.5% (1,703) Approved Foreign Operators
- 16,002 aircraft maintenance engineers and 869 approved maintenance organizations
- 187 Flight Training Units (flight schools)
- 565 certified aerodromes and 1,438 registered aerodromes
- 12,593 air cargo secure supply chain members
- 18,000,000 km2 of airspace managed by the largest single Air Navigation Service provider in the world (NAV CANADA)
- $25.5B in annual revenues generated by the third largest aerospace sector in the world, which:
- creating 213,000 direct and indirect jobs in Canada (2018)
- number one in R&D investment across manufacturing industries accounting for a quarter of total R&D spending
- 729 Transport Canada Safety and Security Inspectors
Aviation – Safety Performance Trend
Safety performance trend is positive.
Accidents, Fatalities and Accident Rate
Chart: Accidents, Fatalities and Accident Rate
The lines in this chart show the accidents, fatalities and accident rate, by year (excluding accidents involving non-Canadian and non-civilian aircraft).
*Data source: Transport Canada adapted from Transportation Safety Board (TSB) data (accidents involving non-Canadian and non-Civilian aircraft have been excluded).
**Accident rate is calculated per 100,000 hours flown.
- In 2020, there were a total of 144 aviation accidents, down from the 2019 total of 189, and 28.4% below the previous 10-year (2010-2019) average of 201.
- There were 9 fatal accidents in 2020, down significantly from 2019 (26) and below the previous 10-year average of 23.
- The fatal accidents accounted for 13 fatalities, down by more than four times the 2019 total of 54 and down from the previous 10-year average of 41 fatalities.
- The accident rate increased in 2020 compared to 2019. The 2020 accident rate was 5.6 (accidents per 100,000 hours flown), compared to 3.9 (accidents per 100,00 hours flown) in 2019. This increase is attributable to changes in activity levels due to the pandemic (see next slide).
Total Hours Flown and Accident Rate
|
Year |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019R |
2020P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
AccidentsFootnote 1 |
207 |
185 |
190 |
152 |
189 |
144 |
|
Hours Flown (thousands) |
4,323 |
4,472 |
4,718 |
5,030 |
4,889 |
2,550 |
|
Accident Rate (per 100,000 hours flown) |
4.8 |
4.1 |
4.0 |
3.0 |
3.9 |
5.6 |
- Aviation safety remains strong during an unusual year (COVID-19 pandemic)
- In 2020, the total hours flown for were 2.55 million, almost half of the hours flown for the previous year.
- Historically, commercial operators accounted for approximately 80% of the total hours flown versus non-commercial (recreational) operators who accounted for approximately 20%. Due to the pandemic and the decrease in the activity level of commercial operators, the proportion of hours flown by commercial operators decreased to 30-50% of the total number of hours flown which affected the accident rate even though there were fewer accidents overall. Footnote 2
- The shift in activity type since the beginning of the pandemic should be considered when looking at the accident rate.
- The increased accident rate in Canada reflects the worldwide trend. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) 2020 Safety Report also shows that the overall accident rate for 2020 was higher than the (2016-2020) 5-year average. The severe reduction in commercial flight activity caused by the pandemic magnified the impact of each accident when calculating rates.
Aviation – Safety Data & Statistics
Potential for Safety Improvements in Air Taxi Operations
Chart: Airliner, Commuter, Air Taxi and Aerial Work
The lines in this chart show the number of accidents and the number of fatalities, by year, for the following Canadian Commercial Air Passenger Operations: Aerial Work Operations (Part 702); Air Taxi Operations (Part 703); Commuter Operations (Part 704); and Airline passengers Operations (Part 705).
Canadian commercial air passenger operations fall under four regulatory categories:
- Aerial Work Operations (Part 702);
- Air Taxi Operations (Part 703) carry up to 9 passengers;
- Commuter Operations (Part 704) carry 10-19; and
- Airline passengers Operations (Part 705) carry 20 or more passengers.
Accidents and fatalities by sector
- Aerial work operations (702) include: aerial advertising, photography, spraying, fire-fighting, heli-logging and parachuting. There were 11 accidents in the 702 sector in 2020, down from the 2019 total of 16 and down from the previous 10-year average of 21.
- Air taxi operations (703) accounted for the majority of commercial accidents. In 2020, there were 13 accidents – but only 1 of which was fatal, resulting in 1 total fatality. This number is down from 2019, where there were 26 accidents resulting in 24 fatalities. This is also down from the previous 10-year average for accidents in this sector of 25.
- The air taxi sector (involving aircraft that carry fewer than 19 passengers) has the highest number of accidents in commercial operations. This number of accidents has been consistent over several years and was the subject of the TSB’s air safety issue investigation report (A15H0001) Raising the bar on safety: Reducing the risks associated with air-taxi operations in Canada. The report issued four new recommendations directed to both TC and the industry. TC is proposing to work with industry to eliminate unsafe practices and to promote both proactive safety management and a positive safety culture through a promotion and education campaign similar to the General Aviation Safety Program (GASP).
- There were 2 accidents in 2020 involving Commuter operations (704), on par with the previous year’s total of 2. The previous 10-year average for accidents in this sector is 3.
- Airline operations (705) in Canada continue to be one of the safest in the world. In 2020, there were 3 accidents (4 aircraft involved), none of which resulted in fatalities
Focus on Recreational Aviation Improving Results
Chart: Commercial and Recreational Aircraft (including Ultralight)
The lines in this chart show the number of accidents and the number of fatalities, by year, for commercial and recreational aircraft (including ultralight).
Accidents and fatalities by sector
- There were 108 accidents involving recreational aircraft in 2020, down slightly from the 2019 total of 116 and down significantly from the previous 10-year average of 139 accidents.
- There were 10 fatal accidents involving privately registered aircraft (including ultralights) in 2020 accounting for 14 fatalities.
- In June 2017, Transport Canada (TC) launched the General Aviation Safety Campaign (GASC) to enhance aviation safety and reduce the number of accidents by sharing safety information with the recreational aviation community.
- In June 2020, the General Aviation Safety Campaign transitioned to a General Aviation Safety Program (GASP).
- Under the GASP, TC is continuing to work with the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA), and other stakeholders to share information and best practices to improve pilot decision-making, help pilots maintain and improve their flight skills, and bring more awareness to safety issues and concerns within the recreational aviation community.
Marine Safety & Security (MSS) - Data & Statistics
Safety Data & Statistics
Commercial vessel trends
- Due to variability in data year over year over the past 10 years, the identification of concrete trends is somewhat constrained
- Over the past 10 years, there has been a decrease in marine accidents (annual average).
- In the 5 years ending in 2014, there was an average of 246 accidents/year in contrast to 226/year between 2015-2019. The annual 10 year average is 236
- Although marine fatalities fluctuate year over year, there has been a slight decrease over the past 10 years (annual average)
- In the 5 years ending in 2014, there were an average of 16 fatalities/year in contrast to 14/year between 2015-2019. The annual 10 year average is 15
- There are 35,950 registered active commercial vessels in Canada
Figure 1. Accidents aboard ship and shipping accidents, 2009 to 2019
The chart shows the accident rate per 1000 active vessels excluding fishing vessels, and the downward trend line between 2009 and 2019 inclusively.
Figure 2. Marine fatalities and serious injuries, 2009 to 2019
The bar charts shows the number of marine fatalities, and serious injuries for each year between 2009 and 2019 inclusively.
*Marine Safety Data source: Transportation Safety Board (TSB) Statistical Summary – Marine Transportation Occurrences in 2019
Safety Performance Highlights
- The shipping accident rates for commercial non-fishing vessels in Canada have generally decreased over the past 10 years
- This downward trend continued in 2019
- Improvement is needed in the fishing vessel industry and the recreational boating community
Figure 3. Figure 6. Shipping accident rates for Canadian-flag commercial non-fishing vessels, 2009 to 2019
The chart shows the accident rate per 1000 active vessels excluding fishing vessels, and the downward trend line between 2009 and 2019 inclusively.
Figure 4. Shipping accidents by vessel type, 2009–2018 average and 2019
The chart shows the average number of shipping accidents between 2009 and 2018 compared to the number of accidents in 2019 for each vessel type.
Fishing Vessels
- Commercial fishing vessel safety is a TSB Watchlist item
- Although there is a general downward trend in the fishing vessel shipping accident rate, fishing vessels are still involved in more shipping accidents than any other commercial vessel type (10 year annual average of 99)
- There is also a relatively high number of fatalities in the fishing industry
- Although fatalities can fluctuate widely year over year, in 2019, 9 of the 12 commercial vessel marine fatalities were related to fishing vessels (the 10 year annual average of fishing vessel related fatalities is 9)
- There are approximately 17,000 active commercial fishing vessels in Canada
Recreational boating
- Although the annual average # of fatalities decreased to 116 (2001-2005) from 153 fatalities (1996-2000), recreational boating accounts for approximately 85% of all boating fatalities
- There are approximately 18,000 registered pleasure craft in Canada and 2.7M pleasure craft licences
Rail Safety and Security- Data & Statistics
Rail – Accident Data & Statistics
- Overall, 959 railway accidents were reported to the TSB in 2020, which is an 12% decrease from the 5-year (2015-2019) average of 1091.
- There were 59 rail-related fatalities reported in 2020, 13 less than the previous year and 6% less than the 5-year average of 63.
- Among the 2020 fatalities, 39 involved trespassers, compared with 38 in 2019 and one less the 5-year average of 40.
- Crossing accident fatalities decreased substantially in 2020 (18) from 2019 (28) and is less than the 5-year average (20).
- Among all railway accidents reported to the TSB in 2020, 81 involved dangerous goods (DG). This number is down from 171 in 2019 and down as well from the 5-year average of 128.
- 3 accidents in 2020 resulted in a DG release.
- There were 62 accidents involving an uncontrolled movement and 19 incidents characterized as “Uncontrolled movement of rolling stock” in 2020, compared with 26 and 16 respectively in 2019 and the 5-year averages of 46 and 14 respectively.
Figure 1. Number of rail accidents, 2010 to 2020
Figure 1 is a bar chart showing the number if rail accidents by year in Canada reported to the TSB between 2010 and 2020. The height of the bars in Figure 1 measure the number of accidents per year.
Figure 2. Number of fatalities by type of occurrence, 2010 to 2020
Figure 2 is a bar chart showing the number of fatalities on an annual basis by the type of rail occurrence reported to the TSB for the period 2010 to 2020. The height of each bar measures the number of fatalities due to crossing accidents, trespasser accidents and other occurrence types.
Rail – Incident Data & Statistics
- There were 227 railway incidents reported to the TSB in 2020, a 7% decrease from 2019 (243) and a 21% decrease from the 5-year average (287).
- This decrease is partly due to a change from volume-based to outcome-based criteria for incidents categorized as “DG leaker,” resulting in the re-categorization of a number of occurrences. Consequently, the 5-year average number of “DG leaker” incidents between June 2016 and December 2019 fell from 72 to 0.
- More than half (151) of all railway incidents in 2020 were categorized as “Movement exceeds limits of authority” incidents—15 more than in 2019 and more than the 5‑year average of 134.