Conclusions
Pedestrian fatalities decreased 24 percent over the 10-year period, while total road user fatalities decreased 20.7 percent from 1992. The decrease in pedestrian fatalities reflects the overall reduction in road user fatalities over the period, and was attributable to a greater awareness of road safety in general.
Even though pedestrian fatalities and injuries have decreased over the 10-year period, the 65+ age group still accounts for the greatest number of pedestrian fatalities – 27 percent of males and 39 percent of females based on the 10-year averages. Considering that in 1992, 9.8 percent of the male population were in the 65+ age group rising to 10.9 percent in 2001, and 13.4 percent of the female population were in the same age group in 1992 increasing to 14.3 percent by 2001, the fatalities in this age group were significantly over-represented for both genders. Among road safety professionals, this is cause for concern, which will increase in the future as Canada’s population ages.
Most pedestrian fatalities in the 65+ age group occurred in urban areas (85 percent) and most occurred at intersections, either controlled or uncontrolled (59 percent). The safety of seniors crossing the street could easily be addressed through the medical community, discussed in a doctor/patient relationship, or seniors groups. City planners and traffic engineers/specialists could also be more aware of the duration of walk signals in areas populated by seniors.
Footnotes:
1 Pedestrians of unknown gender were included in total fatalities and injuries, unless otherwise stated.
2 The province of Alberta began reporting this data in 1999 so the charts are based on data from eleven jurisdictions. It was assumed that the missing province would reflect approximately the same percentages as the national picture.
3 The province of Alberta does not report the variable ‘Vehicle
Manoeuvre’.
4 Blood alcohol concentration, expressed as mg%, is the weight of alcohol in the bloodstream stated as milligrams in 100 millilitres of blood.
Sources:
Transport Canada, Road Safety and Motor Vehicle Regulation, TRaffic Accident Information Database (TRAID).
Transport Canada and The Traffic Injury Research Foundation of Canada, “The Alcohol-Crash Problem In Canada: 2001”, TP 11759.
Statistics Canada, 91-002-XIB Quarterly Demographic Statistics.
This publication is prepared by Road Safety and Motor Vehicle Regulation Directorate and may be reproduced without permission provided that its use is solely for the purposes of private study, research, criticism, review or newspaper summary and the source is fully acknowledged.
To find out more about national road safety programs and initiatives, call Transport Canada toll free at 1 800 333 0371 or (613) 998-8616 in the Ottawa area. For comments or questions please write:
Road Safety and Motor Vehicle
Regulation Directorate
Transport Canada
Tower C, Place de Ville
330 Sparks Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0N5
or e-mail us at: roadsafetywebmail@tc.gc.ca. You can also visit the Transport Canada web site at
www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/.
© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Transport, 2004
|
