Table 1: Canadian statistics and social costs of collisions in Canada
| Canadian statistics | Values |
|---|---|
| Gross domestic product (GDP) | $1,836,257.76 (in $2010 millionsFootnote 1) |
| Population | 36,109,487 |
| Licensed drivers | 25,579,690 |
| Vehicle kilometers travelled (VKT) | 386,629 (in millions) |
| Road collision fatalities | 1,895 |
| Social cost of collisions | $42,502.37 (in $2010 millionsFootnote 1) |
Table 2: Social costs of collisions in Canada per licensed driver, per capita, as a % of GDP, and per VKT
| Social cost | Cost |
|---|---|
| Per licensed driver | $1,661.57 |
| Per capita | $1,177.04 |
| As a percent of gross domestic product | 2.31% |
| Per vehicle kilometers travelled | $0.11 |
Figure 1: Breakdown of social costs of collisions in Canada, 2016
Figure 1 - Text version
| Description | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Traffic delays | 4.05 |
| Out of pocket | 1.73 |
| Tow trucks | 0.65 |
| Ambulance | 0.15 |
| Fire | 0.51 |
| Courts | 0.08 |
| Police | 0.56 |
| Health care | 0.62 |
| Property damage | 12.90 |
| Injuries | 37.71 |
| Fatalities | 41.03 |
Figure 1 shows the overall breakdown of the costs incurred by society due to motor vehicle collisions in Canada. The Y-axis displays the different parts of the social cost of collisions model, while the x-axis shows the percentage that each of the parts contributes to the overall total costs to society.
Figure 2: Social costs of collisions in Canada per capita, 1996-2016
Text version
| Year | Canada |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 2044.41 |
| 1997 | 1950.98 |
| 1998 | 1850.37 |
| 1999 | 1830.89 |
| 2000 | 1787.84 |
| 2001 | 1706.50 |
| 2002 | 1775.29 |
| 2003 | 1694.69 |
| 2004 | 1670.74 |
| 2005 | 1724.47 |
| 2006 | 1701.00 |
| 2007 | 1609.03 |
| 2008 | 1430.19 |
| 2009 | 1319.96 |
| 2010 | 1406.94 |
| 2011 | 1290.16 |
| 2012 | 1288.86 |
| 2013 | 1228.79 |
| 2014 | 1170.76 |
| 2015 | 1173.45 |
| 2016 | 1177.04 |
Figure 2 shows the yearly change in the social cost of collision per capita in Canada from the years 1996-2016. The Y-axis displays the average yearly social costs of collisions per capita, while the X-axis displays the year.
Figure 3: Social costs of collisions in Canada per vehicle kilometers travelled, 2000-2016
Text version
| Year | Canada |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.18 |
| 2001 | 0.17 |
| 2002 | 0.18 |
| 2003 | 0.17 |
| 2004 | 0.17 |
| 2005 | 0.18 |
| 2006 | 0.17 |
| 2007 | 0.16 |
| 2008 | 0.15 |
| 2009 | 0.13 |
| 2010 | 0.14 |
| 2011 | 0.13 |
| 2012 | 0.13 |
| 2013 | 0.12 |
| 2014 | 0.12 |
| 2015 | 0.11 |
| 2016 | 0.11 |
Figure 3 shows the yearly change in the social cost of collisions per vehicle kilometer travelled from the years 2000-2016. The Y-axis displays the average yearly social costs of collisions per vehicle kilometer travelled, while the X-axis displays the year.
Model information
The model we used to calculate the social cost of collisions is based on a model created by Keith Vodden et al. (2007) “Analysis and Estimation of the Social Cost of Motor Vehicle Collisions in Ontario”. The model was modified by Vodden for Transport Canada in 2008 to reflect a national scope.
The most important changes made to the social cost of collisions model are the value of statistical life, as per Treasury Board and the values of injuries as per Miller and Lawrence’s 2015 report “Fractions of Value of Statistical Life Lost to Injury by Severity”.
The values we used are listed in the table below. We used the definition of “injury” from Canada's National Collision Database.
Table 4: Values of statistical life per Casualty Type
| Casualty type | Cost | Value of statistical life fraction |
|---|---|---|
| Fatality | $8,149,775.78 | N/A |
| Major injury | $1,012,202.15 | 0.1242 |
| Minor injury | $37,488.97 | 0.0046 |
| Minimal injury | $9,779.73 | 0.0012 |
Value of statistical life comes from the Treasury Board of Canada, Cost-Benefit Analysis Guide.
Data sources
All collision statistics come from Canada’s National Collisions Database, with minor changes to account for unknowns (this is different from Vodden et al’s original model).
Data on gross domestic product come from Statistics Canada, Table: 36-10-0221-01. The All-Items Consumer Price Index from Statistics Canada, Table: 18-10-0005-01 was used to calculate the gross domestic product in 2016 dollars.
Estimates of population come from Statistics Canada, Table: 17-10-0005-01.
Data on licensed drivers come from Statistics Canada, Catalogue No. 53-219. “Road Motor Vehicles – Registrations” from 1996-1998. From 1999 on, data on licensed drivers were provided by the provinces and territories directly to Transport Canada.
Vehicle kilometers travelled for the years 2000-2009 come from Statistics Canada’s Canadian Vehicle Survey. The 2010-2012 estimates were based on a forecast model produced by Westbay Research Inc. and re-estimated with updated Statistics Canada data (Transport Canada, 2014b). Estimates from 2013 on were done by Transport Canada.