ORSAR 2004

This section illustrates the types of collisions that occur in Ontario. To prevent motor vehicle collisions, we need to understand the context in which these collisions occur such as hour of occurrence, day of week, month of year, as well as collision type, location or environmental factors. Identifying these contributing factors is an important step toward reducing the incidence of collisions on Ontario's roads.

The number of fatal, injury, and property damage collisions decreased in 2004 as compared to previous years. In 2004, the fatal collision rate per 100 million kilometres travelled in Ontario was the lowest recorded over the last 15 years.

3A. Types of Collisions

Table 3.1: Class of Collision, 1988-2004

Year	Fatal Collision	Personal Injury	Property Damage	Total
1988	1,076	76,724	150,598	228,398
1989	1,106	77,852	168,080	247,038
1990	959	65,912	153,317	220,188
1991	956	59,242	153,471	213,669
1992	942	58,889	164,418	224,249
1993	987	58,932	168,915	228,834
1994	875	58,525	167,596	226,996
1995	860	58,273	159,952	219,085
1996	816	57,791	156,417	215,024
1997	807	56,121	164,572	221,500
1998	768	55,441	157,147	213,356
1999	763	55,764	165,435	221,962
2000	737	57,279	182,614	240,630
2001	733	54,479	178,792	234,004
2002	770	56,516	187,356	244,642
2003	754	52,757	192,952	246,463
2004	718	49,948	180,882	231,548

Table 3.2: Collision Rate Per One Million Kilometres Travelled 1988-2004*
Year	Collision Rate
1988	3.2
1989	3.2
1990	3.0
1991	2.9
1992	3.1
1993	3.0
1994	2.9
1995	2.8
1996	2.7
1997	2.7
1998	2.5
1999	2.5
2000	2.0
2001	2.0
2002	2.0
2003	2.1
2004	1.9

* Since 2000, collision rates are calculated based on Statistics Canada estimates of vehicle kilometres travelled.

Table 3.3: Motor Vehicles Involved in Collisions Based on Initial Impact, 2004*

Motor Vehicle in Collision Involving Moveable Objects	Fatal Collision	Personal Injury	Property Damage	Total
Other Motor Vehicles	727	73,130	261,853	335,710
Unattended Vehicles	6	555	13,472	14,033
Pedestrian	102	4,131	201	4,434
Cyclist	19	2,701	544	3,264
Railway Train	11	19	29	59
Street Car	0	39	245	284
Farm Tractor	3	28	95	126
Domestic Animal	0	60	607	667
Wild Animal	8	556	13,112	13,676
Other Moveable Objects	0	33	162	195
Sub-total	876	81,252	290,320	372,448

Motor Vehicle in Collision Involving Fixed Objects	Fatal Collision	Personal Injury	Property Damage	Total
Cable Guide Rail	0	66	306	372
Concrete Guide Rail	1	322	914	1,237
Steel Guide Rail	2	190	852	1,044
Pole (Utility Tower)	6	327	1,323	1,656
Pole (Sign/Parking Meter)	1	118	765	884
Fence/Noise Barrier	2	24	194	220
Culvert	0	12	31	43
Bridge Support	0	18	118	136
Rock Face	1	17	31	49
Snow Bank or Drift	0	58	293	351
Ditch	8	285	766	1,059
Curb	17	431	1,481	1,929
Crash Cushion	1	25	36	62
Building or Wall	0	26	158	184
Water Course	0	3	7	10
Construction Marker	0	12	47	59
Tree, Shrub, or Stump	6	80	392	478
Other Fixed Object	6	250	1,560	1,816
Sub-total	51	2,264	9,274	11,589

Motor Vehicle in Collision Involving Other Events	Fatal Collision	Personal Injury	Property Damage	Total
Ran Off Road	141	3,477	8,022	11,640
Skidding/Sliding	146	5,362	17,467	22,975
Jack-knifing	0	34	119	153
Load Spill	0	7	61	68
Fire/Explosion	0	11	202	213
Submersion	0	0	6	6
Rollover	5	214	329	548
Debris on Road	1	105	899	1,005
Debris off Vehicle	6	97	1,175	1,278
Other Non-Collision Event	15	1,397	3,616	5,028
Sub-total	314	10,704	31,896	42,914

Total	1,241	94,220	331,490	426,951

* Table 3.3 reflects the number of motor vehicles involved in collisions by initial impact.

Table 3.4: Initial Impact Type by Class of Collision, 2004

Initial Impact Type	Fatal Collision	Personal Injury	Property Damage	Total
Approaching	111	1,526	2,417	4,054
Angle	83	6,745	16,419	23,247
Rear End	40	13,450	46,861	60,351
Sideswipe	54	3,307	21,530	24,891
Turning Movement	56	9,259	30,600	39,915
With Unattended Motor Vehicle	6	588	13,634	14,228
Single Motor Vehicle	364	14,974	47,078	62,416
Other	4	99	2,343	2,446
Unknown	0	0	0	0
Total	718	49,948	180,882	231,548

3B. Time and Environment

Table 3.5: Month of Occurrence by Class of Collision, 2004

Month of Occurrence	Fatal Collision	%	Personal Injury	%	Property Damage	%	Total	%
January	48	6.7	5,346	10.7	24,617	13.6	30,011	13.0
February	50	7.0	3,309	6.6	14,202	7.9	17,561	7.6
March	44	6.1	3,367	6.7	12,296	6.8	15,707	6.8
April	48	6.7	3,334	6.7	11,787	6.5	15,169	6.6
May	55	7.7	4,005	8.0	12,809	7.1	16,869	7.3
June	57	7.9	4,331	8.7	13,732	7.6	18,120	7.8
July	71	9.9	4,395	8.8	12,903	7.1	17,369	7.5
August	77	10.7	4,326	8.7	12,400	6.9	16,803	7.3
September	67	9.3	4,294	8.6	12,645	7.0	17,006	7.3
October	73	10.2	4,393	8.8	15,258	8.4	19,724	8.5
November	64	8.9	4,131	8.3	16,715	9.2	20,910	9.0
December	64	8.9	4,717	9.4	21,518	11.9	26,299	11.4
Total	718	100.0	49,948	100.0	180,882	100.0	231,548	100.0

Table 3.6: Day of Week by Class of Collision, 2004

Day of Occurrence	Fatal Collision	%	Personal Injury	%	Property Damage	%	Total	%
Monday	70	9.7	6,788	13.6	25,084	13.9	31,942	13.8
Tuesday	101	14.1	7,257	14.5	26,045	14.4	33,403	14.4
Wednesday	89	12.4	7,267	14.5	26,834	14.8	34,190	14.8
Thursday	95	13.2	7,322	14.7	28,061	15.5	35,478	15.3
Friday	117	16.3	8,540	17.1	31,456	17.4	40,113	17.3
Saturday	131	18.2	6,984	14.0	24,033	13.3	31,148	13.5
Sunday	115	16.0	5,790	11.6	19,369	10.7	25,274	10.9
Total	718	100.0	49,948	100.0	180,882	100.0	231,548	100.0

Table 3.7: Hour of Occurrence by Class of Collision 2004

Hour of Occurrence	Fatal Collision	%	Personal Injury	%	Property Damage	%	Total	%
12 to 1 a.m.	24	3.3	682	1.4	2,630	1.5	3,336	1.4
1 to 2 a.m.	26	3.6	642	1.3	2,513	1.4	3,181	1.4
2 to 3 a.m.	18	2.5	662	1.3	2,430	1.3	3,110	1.3
3 to 4 a.m.	20	2.8	530	1.1	2,060	1.1	2,610	1.1
4 to 5 a.m.	11	1.5	414	0.8	1,648	0.9	2,073	0.9
5 to 6 a.m.	10	1.4	455	0.9	2,266	1.3	2,731	1.2
Sub-total	109	15.2	3,385	6.8	13,547	7.5	17,041	7.4
6 to 7 a.m.	31	4.3	1,164	2.3	4,650	2.6	5,845	2.5
7 to 8 a.m.	31	4.3	1,825	3.7	7,442	4.1	9,298	4.0
8 to 9 a.m.	22	3.1	2,944	5.9	11,498	6.4	14,464	6.2
9 to 10 a.m.	28	3.9	2,235	4.5	8,837	4.9	11,100	4.8
10 to 11 a.m.	27	3.8	2,297	4.6	8,552	4.7	10,876	4.7
11 to 12 noon	31	4.3	2,650	5.3	9,617	5.3	12,298	5.3
Sub-total	170	23.7	13,115	26.3	50,596	28.0	63,881	27.6
12 to 1 p.m.	28	3.9	3,162	6.3	10,643	5.9	13,833	6.0
1 to 2 p.m.	29	4.0	3,091	6.2	10,331	5.7	13,451	5.8
2 to 3 p.m.	49	6.8	3,386	6.8	11,335	6.3	14,770	6.4
3 to 4 p.m.	39	5.4	3,991	8.0	13,793	7.6	17,823	7.7
4 to 5 p.m.	43	6.0	4,088	8.2	13,944	7.7	18,075	7.8
5 to 6 p.m.	49	6.8	4,008	8.0	14,086	7.8	18,143	7.8
Sub-total	237	33.0	21,726	43.5	74,132	41.0	96,095	41.5
6 to 7 p.m.	44	6.1	3,219	6.4	11,211	6.2	14,474	6.3
7 to 8 p.m.	38	5.3	2,352	4.7	8,324	4.6	10,714	4.6
8 to 9 p.m.	23	3.2	1,848	3.7	6,156	3.4	8,027	3.5
9 to 10 p.m.	31	4.3	1,636	3.3	6,065	3.4	7,732	3.3
10 to 11 p.m.	33	4.6	1,307	2.6	5,008	2.8	6,348	2.7
11 to 12 midnight	29	4.0	1,040	2.1	4,006	2.2	5,075	2.2
Sub-total	198	27.6	11,402	22.8	40,770	22.5	52,370	22.6
Unknown	4	0.6	320	0.6	1,837	1.0	2,161	0.9
Total	718	100.0	49,948	100.0	180,882	100.0	231,548	100.0

Table 3.8: Statutory Holidays, Holiday Weekends - Fatal Collisions, Persons Killed and Injured, 2004

Statutory Holiday*	Number of Fatal Collisions	Drivers Killed	Drivers Injured	Passengers Killed	Passengers Injured	Others Killed	Others Injured	Total Killed	Total Injured
Easter Weekend	9	4	3	3	2	2	0	9	5
Victoria Day	2	2	1	1	5	0	0	3	6
Canada Day	8	7	4	2	5	0	0	9	9
Civic Holiday (Simcoe Day)	7	4	4	2	4	1	0	7	8
Labour Day	7	5	1	2	1	1	0	8	2
Thanksgiving Day	11	9	4	4	8	0	0	13	12
Christmas/Boxing Day	9	2	10	6	6	1	0	9	16

Table 3.9: Light Condition by Class of Collision, 2004

Light Condition	Fatal Collision	%	Personal Injury	%	Property Damage	%	Total	%
Daylight	412	57.4	36,274	72.6	124,507	68.8	161,193	69.6
Dawn	13	1.8	711	1.4	3,369	1.9	4,093	1.8
Dusk	26	3.6	1,531	3.1	6,033	3.3	7,590	3.3
Darkness	264	36.8	11,412	22.8	46,734	25.8	58,410	25.2
Other	3	0.4	20	0.0	239	0.1	262	0.1
Total	718	100.0	49,948	100.0	180,882	100.0	231,548	100.0

Table 3.10: Visibility by Class of Collision 2004

Visibility	Fatal Collision	%	Personal Injury	%	Property Damage	%	Total	%
Clear	554	77.2	38,800	77.7	134,501	74.4	173,855	75.1
Rain	73	10.2	5,755	11.5	20,297	11.2	26,125	11.3
Snow	44	6.1	3,873	7.8	19,404	10.7	23,321	10.1
Freezing Rain	10	1.4	361	0.7	1,733	1.0	2,104	0.9
Drifting Snow	8	1.1	399	0.8	1,825	1.0	2,232	1.0
Strong Wind	5	0.7	157	0.3	606	0.3	768	0.3
Fog, Mist, Smoke, or Dust	20	2.8	448	0.9	1,773	1.0	2,241	1.0
Other	4	0.6	155	0.3	743	0.4	902	0.4
Total	718	100.0	49,948	100.0	180,882	100.0	231,548	100.0

3c. The Collision Location

Table 3.11: Road Jurisdiction by Class of Collision, 2004

Road Jurisdiction	Fatal Collision	Personal Injury	Property Damage	Total
Municipal (Excl.Twp. Rd.)	237	30,815	108,251	139,303
Provincial Highway	218	8,477	31,811	40,506
Township	45	1,636	6,463	8,144
County or District	115	2,703	11,111	13,929
Regional Municipality	99	6,218	22,878	29,195
Federal	3	81	279	363
Other	1	18	89	108
Total	718	49,948	180,882	231,548

Table 3.12: Road Jurisdiction for All Collisions, 1995-2004

Road Jurisdiction*	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	Total
Municipal	114,848	112,980	123,423	123,112	126,063	136,499	143,951	149,533	149,310	139,303	1,319,022
Provincial	46,365	46,867	41,947	33,590	37,139	38,366	36,511	39,579	42,518	40,506	403,388
Township	9,774	9,236	9,557	8,696	8,672	9,844	8,678	9,602	9,146	8,144	91,349
County or District	8,815	8,381	9,574	11,114	11,217	12,847	12,692	13,773	14,200	13,929	116,542
Regional Municipality	38,279	36,738	36,341	36,295	38,360	42,464	31,659	31,628	30,731	29,195	351,690
Federal	753	662	504	392	400	439	354	425	423	363	4,715
Other	251	160	154	157	111	171	159	102	135	108	1,508
Total	219,085	215,024	221,500	213,356	221,962	240,630	234,004	244,642	246,463	231,548	2,288,214

*Collisions may not be comaparable across the different years due to transfer of highways between jurisdictions.

Table 3.13: Collision Location by Class of Collision, 2004

Road Location	Fatal Collision	%	Personal Injury	%	Property Damage	%	Total	%
Non-intersection	452	63.0	19,046	38.1	81,319	45.0	100,817	43.5
Intersection Related	66	9.2	12,434	24.9	42,854	23.7	55,354	23.9
At Intersection	118	16.4	12,939	25.9	31,897	17.6	44,954	19.4
At/Near Private Drive	62	8.6	5,123	10.3	22,962	12.7	28,147	12.2
At Railway	9	1.3	81	0.2	351	0.2	441	0.2
Underpass or Tunnel	2	0.3	50	0.1	180	0.1	232	0.1
Overpass or Bridge	8	1.1	219	0.4	987	0.5	1,214	0.5
Other	1	0.1	56	0.1	332	0.2	389	0.2
Total	718	100.0	49,948	100.0	180,882	100.0	231,548	100.0

Table 3.14: Road Surface Condition by Class of Collision, 2004

Road Surface Condition	Fatal Collision	%	Personal Injury	%	Property Damage	%	Total	%
Dry	483	67.3	33,418	66.9	110,904	61.3	144,805	62.5
Wet	130	18.1	9,747	19.5	35,631	19.7	45,508	19.7
Loose Snow	35	4.9	2,105	4.2	10,823	6.0	12,963	5.6
Slush	12	1.7	1,107	2.2	5,376	3.0	6,495	2.8
Packed Snow	18	2.5	1,193	2.4	7,063	3.9	8,274	3.6
Ice	24	3.3	1,992	4.0	9,533	5.3	11,549	5.0
Mud	1	0.1	14	0.0	66	0.0	81	0.0
Loose Sand or Gravel	7	1.0	238	0.5	680	0.4	925	0.4
Spilled Liquid	0	0.0	21	0.0	37	0.0	58	0.0
Other	8	1.1	113	0.2	769	0.4	890	0.4
Total	718	100.0	49,948	100.0	180,882	100.0	231,548	100.0

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Ontario Road Safety Annual Report 2004

3. The Collision

Figure 3: Fatality Rate Per 100 Million Kilometres Travelled in Ontario, 1990-2004