ORSAR 2001 - Overview

This section provides a brief overview of road safety in the province. Selected characteristics of motor vehicle collisions are presented from a health perspective.

The statistics show a decline in collisions in 2001 from the previous year. The downward trend is shown in the number of total reported collisions, total drivers involved in collisions, total vehicles involved in collisions, fatal collisions, personal injury collisions and property damage collisions.

The primary measure of road user safety in Ontario is the number of fatalities per 10,000 licensed drivers. This is a commonly used measure of road user safety in North America and elsewhere. It allows us to compare our performance against other jurisdictions. This year in Ontario there were only 1.02 fatalities per 10,000 licensed drivers. Based on this measure, that makes Ontario roads the safest in North America.

*Data in table format

1a. Synopsis

Selected Statistics

Total Reportable Collisions	234,004
Total Drivers Involved in Collisions	419,937
Total Vehicles Involved in Collisions	437,410
Fatal Collisions	733
Personal Injury Collisions	54,479
Property Damage Collisions	178,792
Persons Killed	845
Drivers Killed (excludes All Terrain Vehicle and Snow Vehicle Drivers)	495
Drivers Killed (Impaired or Had Been Drinking)	128
Passengers Killed	227
Pedestrians Killed	119
Other Road Users Killed	4
Persons Injured	81,782
Estimated Ontario Population (2001)	11,966,960
Licensed Drivers	8,266,616
Registered Motor Vehicles	7,336,574
Estimated Vehicle Kilometres Travelled (in millions)	115,943
Number of Persons Killed in Motor Vehicle Collisions per 100,000 People in Ontario	7.1
Number of Persons Killed in Motor Vehicle Collisions per 100 Million Kilometres Travelled	0.7
Collision Rate per 100 Million Kilometres Travelled	201.8
Fatal Collision Rate per 100 Million Kilometres Travelled	0.6
Number of Persons Killed in Motor Vehicle Collisions per 10,000 Licensed Drivers	1.02

1b. Selected characteristics of motor vehicle collisions

1c. The health perspective

Table 1.1

Selected Diagnoses of Motor Vehicle Collision Injuries Hospitalized in Ontario, 2000/2001

Selected Diagnoses	Hospital Admissions	Hospital Days of Stay
Fracture of skull	407	4,896
Fracture of neck and trunk	1,196	11,474
Fracture of upper limb	598	2,992
Fracture of lower limb	1,411	12,304
Dislocation, sprains and strains	260	1,125
Intracranial injury, excluding those with  skull fracture	866	8,527
Internal injury of chest, abdomen and pelvis	556	4,860
Open wound of head, neck and trunk	143	437
Open wound of upper limb	35	141
Open wound of lower limb	55	447
Other injuries, burns and traumatic complications	1,946	35,697
Total Admissions and Days	7,473	82,900

Table 1.2

Selected Surgical Procedures for Motor Vehicle Collision Injuries Hospitalized in Ontario,  2001

Selected Procedure	Hospital Admissions	Hospital Days of Stay
Operations on skull, brain& and cerebral meninges	137	2,970
Operations on spinal cord and canal structures	55	1,098
Operations on nose, mouth and pharynx	36	225
Operations on chest wall, pleura, mediastinum and  diaphragm	112	1,119
Operations on bone marrow& and spleen	68	1,131
Operations on kidney	7	70
Operation on facial bones and joints	101	796
Reduction of fracture and dislocation	1,759	16,364
Repair and plastic operations on joint structures	146	2,643
Operations on skin and subcutaneous tissue	274	1,885
Other surgical procedure	3,258	41,324
Sub-total of surgical& admission and days	5,953	69,625
No surgical procedures& reported	1,520	13,275
Total Admissions and Days	7,473	82,900

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Contents | Foreword | Overview | The people | The collision | Place of Collision | The vehicle | Special vehicles | Conviction, offence, suspension | Appendix