1. Overview

The first part of this section (synopsis) provides a brief overview of road safety in the province. The second part presents selected characteristics of motor vehicle collisions from a health perspective.

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 Ontario to compare its performance against that of other jurisdictions. In Ontario in 2003, there were 0.97 fatalities per 10,000 licensed drivers, a 6.7 per cent decrease as compared to 2002.

The 2003 fatality rate is the lowest number since Ontario began collecting collision data. Based on this measure, Ontario's roads are the safest in Canada and in North America.

Figure 1 - Fatality Rate Per 10,000 Licensed Drivers in Ontario, 1990-2003

1A. Synopsis

Selected Statistics
Total Reportable Collisions	246,463
Total Drivers Involved in Collisions	438,121
Total Vehicles Involved in Collisions	455,182
Fatal Collisions	754
Personal Injury Collisions	52,757
Property Damage Collisions	192,952
Persons Killed	831
Drivers Killed (excludes All Terrain Vehicle and Snow Vehicle Drivers)	486
Drivers Killed (Impaired or Had Been Drinking)	141
Passengers Killed	222
Pedestrians Killed	120
Other Road Users Killed	3
Persons Injured	77,879
Estimated Ontario Population (2003)	12,293,700
Licensed Drivers	8,541,555
Registered Motor Vehicles	7,603,372
Estimated Vehicle Kilometres Travelled (in millions)	116,322
Number of Persons Killed in Motor Vehicle Collisions per 100,000 People in Ontario	6.8
Number of Persons Killed in Motor Vehicle Collisions per 100 Million Kilometres Travelled	0.71
Collision Rate per 100 Million Kilometres Travelled	211.9
Fatal Collision Rate per 100 Million Kilometres Travelled	0.6
Number of Persons Killed in Motor Vehicle Collisions per 10,000 Licensed Drivers	0.97

1B. Health Perspective

Table 1.1
Selected Diagnoses of Motor Vehicle Collision Injuries Hospitalized in Ontario, 2002/2003 Fiscal Year

Selected Diagnoses	Hospital Admissions	Hospital Days of Stay
Fracture of head	230	1,584
Fracture of neck and trunk	988	8,851
Fracture of upper limb	534	2,545
Fracture of lower limb	1,346	11,697
Fractures involving multiple body regions	15	388
Dislocation, sprains, and strain	175	650
Dislocations, sprains, and strains involving multiple body regions	- *	- *
Intracranial injury	775	11,998
Internal injury of chest, abdomen, and pelvis	521	5,161
Open wound of head, neck, or trunk	97	227
Open wound of upper limb	29	198
Open wound of lower limb	28	221
Open wounds involving multiple body regions	7	33
Other diagnoses	1,330	11,715

Source: Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Integrated Policy and Planning Division, Health Data & Decision Support Unit
*Small cell count (a value of less than 5); small cell counts are not to be published.

Table 1.2
Selected Surgical Procedures for Motor Vehicle Collision Injuries Hospitalized in Ontario, 2002/2003 Fiscal Year

Selected Procedure	Admissions	Days of Stay
Head, brain, and cerebral meninges	129	3,069
Spinal cord, spinal canal, and meninges	7	79
Nose, mouth, and pharynx	34	172
Chest wall, pleura, mediastinum, and diaphragm	81	987
Bone marrow and spleen	72	1,398
Kidney	- *	101
Facial bones and joints	85	715
Reduction of fracture/dislocation with or without fixation (excluding head and facial bones)	1,758	16,723
Repair joint structures (excluding head or facial bones)	27	229
Skin and subcutaneous tissue	102	674
Other diagnostic and therapeutic interventions	1,359	19,949
Sub-total of surgical admissions and days	3,654	44,096
No interventions performed	2,421	11,175

Source: Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Integrated Policy and Planning Division, Health Data & Decision Support Unit
*Small cell count (a value of less than 5); small cell counts are not to be published.