Toronto, Ontario -- A new cross-border study is highlighting just how different Canadian and American roads really are -- especially when it comes to deadly collisions.
Released by the Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics and the U.S.-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the report shows traffic deaths in Canada fell by 31 percent between 2007 and 2021. In that same period, the United States recorded a 10 percent increase.
By 2021, Canada’s road fatality rate sat at 4.7 deaths per 100,000 people -- less than half the U.S. rate of 12.2. Researchers attribute the difference to several factors, including stronger impaired driving laws, road design improvements and the use of automated enforcement in Canadian jurisdictions.
Still, Canadian roads are far from risk-free. Speeding, impairment and distraction remain top contributors to fatal crashes. Two-thirds of fatally injured drivers tested for alcohol had blood-alcohol levels over the legal limit. Roughly 80 percent of those drivers were men.
The report also highlights the rural–urban divide. Between 2018 and 2021, traffic fatality rates were four times higher in rural areas. Researchers point to longer emergency response times and limited access to trauma care as possible reasons behind the disparity.
Data also showed that motor vehicle deaths were highest among individuals aged 25 to 44. Men accounted for nearly three-quarters of all motor vehicle deaths during the 2007 to 2021 period. Among fatally injured drivers tested for drugs, one in five had cannabis in their system, and nearly one in three tested positive for central nervous system depressants.
