Canadian Motor Vehicle Fatality Statistics

According to OECD data, Canada has seen a steady decline in fatal collisions and road deaths over the past three decades, mirroring trends in most developed nations. Initiatives such as Canada’s Road Safety Strategy 2025 and continued investment in infrastructure have supported this positive shift.

During the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2021), reduced traffic volumes pushed casualties to a historical low of 4.6 fatalities per 100,000 people. However, as driving patterns returned to normal, collisions and fatalities have begun to rise again, signalling a worrying reversal of progress.

In this article, we’ll review the most significant national road accident statistics from recent years and then take a closer look at how Ontario compares within the broader Canadian context.

Key Findings

• 1,962 fatalities were recorded on Canadian roads in 2023, representing the highest total in 10 years, and a 1.7% increase from 2022.
• 118,838 injuries were reported in 2024, representing a 3.6% decrease compared to 2022.
• Canada’s road fatality rate stands at 4.9 deaths per 100,000 people, about three times lower than the U.S. average.
• Over the past 20 years, fatalities have declined by 28%, and serious injuries by 41%, showing long-term safety improvements.
• A collision in a rural area is 3.4 times more likely to result in death than one in an urban setting.
• Yukon has the highest fatality rate at 19.8 per 100,000 people, while Nunavut has the lowest at 2.5.
• Ontario recorded 382 road deaths in 2024, a 7% decline from 2023 but still above pre-pandemic averages.
• Motorcycle fatalities in Ontario reached a 20-year high in 2024, with 57 deaths reported.
• Toronto led all major cities with 49 fatalities in 2024, followed by Montreal (37) and Calgary (29).
• Peel Region saw a 24% decline in fatalities since 2022 but a 14% rise in impaired driving incidents between 2024 and 2025.

Canadian National Road Accident Statistics

Canada’s road safety record reflects long-term improvement but short-term setbacks as post-pandemic traffic volumes and driver behaviour return to pre-pandemic levels.

1. In 2023, 1,962 people were killed on Canadian roads, the highest total in a decade and a 1.7% increase from 2022.1
2. The national fatality rate stands at 4.9 deaths per 100,000 people, down from 5.5 in 20131.

1. 118,838 road injuries were reported in 2023, representing a 3.6% decrease compared to 2022 (123,317).1

1. Over the past 20 years, fatalities have fallen by approximately 28%.1
2. Over the past 20 years, serious injuries have fallen by about 41%, demonstrating long-term safety improvements1.
3. Canada’s road fatality rate is 2.5 times lower than the USA.2

1. Canada’s road-fatality rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people positions it in the mid-range globally. It’s significantly safer than the U.S., yet Canada still trails the U.K. and Germany, whose rates remain among the world’s lowest.1,2,3,4,5,6

Overall, Canada’s record is comparable to other developed countries such as Australia and France, suggesting consistent progress in road safety outcomes.

1. Yukon has the highest fatality rate with 19.8 deaths per 100,000.1
2. Nunavut holds the lowest fatality rate with 2.5 deaths per 100,000.1
3. This means there is a difference of more than 7 between the lowest and highest regions.

1. Over the past decade, urban areas recorded a slight increase in fatal collisions (+7.7%) but a notable 27% decline in injury collisions, reflecting safer city design, lower average speeds, and improved emergency response times.1

Location	Fatal	Personal Injury
Urban	799	65,834
Rural	932	22,051

1. A rural collision is 3.4 times more likely to result in a fatality than one in an urban area. Longer travel distances, higher average speeds, and limited trauma access all contribute to this persistent safety gap.

Taken together, these figures show that while Canada’s overall road safety record remains strong by international standards, recent years have exposed gaps between regions and road types.

The next section looks more closely at Ontario, where detailed provincial reporting from the OPP and municipal police forces provides further insight into local patterns, risks, and emerging trends.

Ontario Car Accident Statistics

Ontario remains Canada’s most closely monitored province for traffic data, with annual reports released by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Toronto Police Service, and other regional departments.

The following figures provide the most up-to-date picture of road safety across Ontario.

1. In 2024, the OPP reported 344 fatal collisions resulting in 382 deaths on OPP-patrolled roads, a 7% decline from 2023, when fatalities reached a 15-year high of 411 deaths.7,8

1. 2023 was the first year since 2007 that OPP-patrolled roads recorded more than 400 deaths.8
2. As of May 2025, OPP has recorded 86 fatal road collisions that resulted in 99 deaths.9
3. 57 motorcyclists were killed in 2024, marking the highest number of motorcycle deaths in two decades.10

While Ontario saw fewer deaths in 2024 compared to 2023, the province’s roads remain deadlier than pre-pandemic averages.

The sharp rise in motorcycle fatalities highlights ongoing issues with visibility, seasonal riding conditions, and driver awareness.

To better understand how these risks manifest in urban areas, data from the Toronto Police Service provides a closer look at traffic fatalities across the city.

1. The Toronto Police Service reported 49 fatalities in 2024. 15 involved automobiles, 6 cyclists, 4 motorcyclists, and 24 pedestrians.11
2. The Peel Region has seen a 24% decline in fatalities since 2022. Car accident-related fatalities have decreased from 37 in 2022 to 21 in 2023 and 28 in 2024.12
3. However, the Peel Region has seen a 5.65% increase in total collisions (rising from 40,457 in 2023 to 42,733 in 2024).12
4. Impaired driving incidents in the Peel Region rose 14% year-over-year, rising from 553 in 2024 to 632 in 2025.12

While crash severity is decreasing in the Peel Region, risk behaviours remain a key concern for law enforcement.

These regional patterns highlight how road safety challenges vary across Ontario’s cities.

Next, we’ll look at how Ontario’s largest metropolitan centre compares with other major urban areas across Canada.

1. We already established that among Canada’s major cities, Toronto recorded the highest number of road fatalities (49). Toronto is followed by Montreal (37) and Calgary (29).11, 13, 14

1. When adjusted for population, Ottawa (18) and Vancouver (15) maintain the lowest fatality counts among Canada’s largest metropolitan areas.15, 16

Toronto’s higher total reflects both its dense traffic volume and its mix of vulnerable road users, particularly pedestrians and cyclists, while Montreal and Calgary show mid-range numbers consistent with their population sizes and commuting patterns.

What The Data Tells Us About Road Safety in Canada

The data paints a complex picture of road safety in Canada.

While overall fatalities have dropped compared to two decades ago, certain risk areas, particularly motorcycle deaths, impaired driving, and urban pedestrian collisions, remain stubbornly high.

Ontario’s results reflect this national pattern: improvement in total fatalities, but persistent vulnerabilities among specific road users.

The next phase of progress will depend less on broad policy and more on targeted action, addressing risky behaviour, improving visibility for vulnerable users, and designing safer urban infrastructure.

As enforcement and education efforts continue, maintaining consistency across provinces will be crucial to sustaining Canada’s reputation as one of the safer countries for drivers and pedestrians alike.

Sources and Methodology

Data was gathered from a combination of federal and provincial reporting bodies, local police statistics, and verified media outlets referencing official data.

These include, but are not limited to:

1. Transport Canada. Canadian Motor Vehicle Traffic Collision Statistics: 2023. https://tc.canada.ca/en/road-transportation/statistics-data/canadian-motor-vehicle-traffic-collision-statistics/2023/canadian-motor-vehicle-traffic-collision-statistics-2023
2. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Early Estimates of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities in 2024. https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/nhtsa-estimates-39345-traffic-fatalities-2024
3. International Transport Forum (OECD). United Kingdom Road Safety Annual Report. https://www.itf-oecd.org/sites/default/files/united-kingdom-road-safety.pdf
4. Australian Government. Monthly Road Deaths – Australian Road Deaths Database. https://datahub.roadsafety.gov.au/progress-reporting/monthly-road-deaths
5. World Health Organization. Road Safety Data Portal – New Zealand (Country 554). https://data.who.int/countries/554
6. European Commission. EU Road Fatalities Drop 3% in 2024, Progress Remains Slow. https://transport.ec.europa.eu/news-events/news/eu-road-fatalities-drop-3-2024-progress-remains-slow-2025-03-18_en
7. Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). Fatal Collision Update – OPP_News (Twitter/X Post). https://x.com/OPP_News/status/1923474458968301995
8. CBC News. OPP: Number of Fatalities Makes 2023 One of Ontario’s Deadliest Years. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/opp-number-fatalities-last-year-deadly-year-1.7204528
9. Ontario Provincial Police. Motorcycle Safety Awareness Campaign Video (Facebook). https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=716842974199144
10. CTV News Barrie. OPP Reports 20-Year High in Motorcycle Deaths, Urges Caution This Season. https://www.ctvnews.ca/barrie/article/opp-reports-20-year-high-in-motorcycle-deaths-urges-caution-this-season/
11. Toronto Police Service. Traffic Fatalities Dashboard (2024). https://data.torontopolice.on.ca/pages/fatalities
12. Peel Regional Police. Crime Statistics and Maps – Road Safety and Collision Data. https://www.peelpolice.ca/en/in-the-community/crime-statistics-and-maps.aspx
13. Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ). Bilan Routier 2024 – Faits Saillants. https://saaq.gouv.qc.ca/blob/saaq/documents/publications/Bilan-Routier-2024-Faits-Saillants.pdf
14. City of Calgary. Vision Zero Road Safety Strategy. https://www.calgary.ca/roads/safety/vision-zero.html
15. Vancouver Police Department. Road Safety Initiatives. https://vpd.ca/crime-prevention-safety/road-safety/
16. Ottawa Police Service. Collision Data Reveals Close to 20,000 Collisions in 2024. https://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/news/collision-data-reveals-close-to-20-000-collisions-in-2024.aspx

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