4 Transportation Safety and Security

TRANSPORTATION SAFETY

This section presents the most recent safety-related statistics for all modes of transportation, as well as for the transportation of dangerous goods. Reports of accidents and incidents made to the Transportation Safety Board are one of the principal sources for safety-related occurrence statistics. Accidents are those occurrences that have resulted in the loss of or damage to life, health and property, while incidents are those that have the potential to result in an accident. As occurrence statistics, they provide indicators of the transportation system's safety performance and help focus efforts on those initiatives and activities that have high safety benefits.

In 2002, Canada continued to maintain a good safety record. The number of accidents involving Canadian-registered aircraft operations (273) was down eight per cent, while accidents involving federally regulated rail operations (985) dropped by seven per cent. Marine accidents (483) were also down by seven per cent. The latest available statistics for road casualty collisions are from 2001; they show a more moderate albeit significant decrease of 2.7 per cent from 2000 levels. In 2002, reportable accidents involving the transportation of dangerous goods increased to 580. This increase may be attributed in part to improved awareness and changes in accident-reporting regulations. Table 4-1 summarizes the modal safety record in 2002, including the transportation of dangerous goods.

Note: Preliminary data for 2002. e = estimated. TDG = transportation of dangerous goods.
N/A = Not available.
1 Canadian-registered aircraft, other than ultralights. Accident rates per 100,000 hours flown.
2 Based on 1,000 commercial vessel trips.
3 Railways under federal jurisdiction. Rates per million train-miles.
4 Road statistics relate to 2001 (most recent statistics) and the 1996 – 2000 five-year average.
Road accidents are casualty collisions, which exclude collisions in which only property is damaged. Rates per 100 million vehicle-kilometres.

Source: Transportation Safety Board, Transport Canada and Statistics Canada

For information on accident trends in 2002 and over the last five years (1997 to 2002), see Table A4-1 in the Addendum. All transportation modes continued to reflect a downward trend in the number of accidents over the last five years.

Another indicator of the safety performance of the transportation system is the number of fatalities. In 2002, there was only one fatality caused by a dangerous goods transport accident. The aviation, marine and rail modes showed a decrease in fatalities in 2002 from 2001. From 2000 to 2001 (the most recent statistics), road fatalities decreased by five per cent to 2,778.

Modal trends and comparisons can be misleading if the specifics of each mode, including the level of activity and therefore the exposure to risk, are not taken into account. That said, the 2002 accident rate per activity level for aviation and rail continued to reflect a downward trend. It is important to note that these rates are only a basis for interpreting the occurrence statistics in each mode and not for comparing across modes, given that the activity measure is particular to each mode and may have its own set of data limitations.

Rail

In 2002, the number of reported rail accidents decreased by seven per cent, from 1,060 in 2001 to 985 in 2002. This continued a notable five-year downward trend of 10 per cent. (The 1997 - 2001 average is 1,089 accidents). This trend was also evident in an accident rate of 10.9 per million train-miles in 2002 (down from 11.8 in 2001) and the five-year average (12.1 for 1997 - 2001). Of reported accidents, 47 per cent occurred on non-main tracks and involved either a derailment or collision. These accidents are generally minor, as they usually involve rolling stock travelling at slow speeds and generally pose less risk to the travelling public. The reported rail accidents presented in this section, and in tables A4-2 to A4-4 in the Addendum, cover the rail networks under federal jurisdiction only.

In 2002, there were 91 fatal accidents (resulting in 96 fatalities) and 63 serious accidents (resulting in 68 serious injuries). Fatalities and serious injuries decreased in 2002, by three and 23, respectively. The majority of these fatalities and injuries resulted from crossing or trespasser accidents. For a provincial breakdown of accidents, fatalities and serious injuries involving railways under federal jurisdiction, see tables A4-3 and A4-4 in the Addendum.

Direction 2006 Initiative — Direction 2006 is a strategic partnership initiative aimed at reducing crossing and trespasser accidents by 50 per cent by 2006. (For more information on Direction 2006, visit www.tc.gc.ca/Railway/Dir2006_e.htm.) Crossing and trespasser accidents continued to account for the greatest number of fatal and serious accidents: 99 per cent of the fatalities and 91 per cent of the serious injuries reported in 2002. Crossing accidents remained below the five-year average and decreased from 278 in 2001 to 261 in 2002, a 6.1 per cent drop. Fatalities related to crossing accidents were up slightly, from 41 to 46, while serious injuries declined from 47 to 42. Trespasser accidents decreased from 79 in 2001 to 72 in 2002. Trespasser fatalities decreased from 56 to 49, while serious injuries remained about the same (22).

Figure 4-2 presents recent trends in crossing and trespasser accidents.

FIGURE 4-2: CROSSING AND TRESPASSER ACCIDENTS, 1993 – 2002

Source: Transport Canada, based on Transportation Safety Board data

As Addendum Table A4-4 shows, only public passive crossing accidents increased from 2001 to 2002 (from 77 to 96) and over the five-year average (92.6), while all others decreased. Transport Canada, together with its partners and stakeholders, is finalizing new regulations that will establish clear direction and consistency in the construction and maintenance of crossings and access control along rail lines. Railway Safety Inspectors, in collaboration with railways and road authorities, conduct risk assessments of highway-railway grade crossings, and Transport Canada administers a crossing funding program for those crossings at greatest risk. In addition, to reduce risk of accidents at night, Transport Canada funded initiatives in 2002 to apply reflective material on the front and back of railway crossing signs and supporting posts at 14,000 passive grade crossings across the country.

Passenger safety — Accidents involving passenger/commuter trains have remained constant over the last five years and in 2002 accounted for seven per cent of total rail accidents. In 2002, Transport Canada undertook a review of rail passenger service safety rules and, in consultation with VIA Rail, also undertook the installation of crash energy management technology for passenger cars.

Work/Rest Rules — In-depth investigations have demonstrated that fatigue is a major factor in transportation accidents. In consultation with railway unions, the Railway Association of Canada and its members developed work/rest rules for rail operations employees. In 2002, Transport Canada further reviewed these rules and consulted with industry and fatigue management experts. The rules are comprehensive and enforceable, allowing railways to better manage the fatigue factor in their operations.

Safety Management Systems — One of the more important and evolving regulatory directions Transport Canada has embarked upon is the implementation of Safety Management Systems (SMS) concepts to instill a strong safety culture in the transportation industry. SMS for railways came into force on March 31, 2001, and railway companies have submitted their SMS information for an initial three-year audit cycle. To date, two thirds of the information submitted has been reviewed, indicating that companies, in general, are developing and adopting SMS. In 2002, Transport Canada continued to work with railway companies to integrate safety into day-to-day operations, address systemic causes of accidents, and foster greater safety self-compliance and internal responsibility within the railway community. For more information on these and other initiatives, visit www.tc.gc.ca/railway/en/menu.htm.

Road

Over the last five decades, Canada's road safety record has continued to improve. In 2001 (most recent statistics), there were three per cent fewer casualty collisions than in 2000. One of the most notable improvements among these indicators is a five per cent decrease in fatalities: 148 fewer fatalities in 2001 than in 2000. The three per cent decline in road-related injuries translates into 6,245 fewer injuries in 2001. Addendum Table A4-5 illustrates annual and longer-term trends in road-related casualty collisions that have resulted in fatalities and injuries. The longer-term downward trend in fatalities (723 fewer fatalities in 2001 than in 1992, when there were 3,501) has helped reduce the estimated annual cost to Canadians of up to $25 billion. These downward trends are confirmed by a decrease in the 2001 collision rate per 100 million vehicle-kilometres over the 2000 rate (from 51.0 to 49.7), and over the longer term by a decrease in collisions, fatalities and injuries despite the continued increase in the annual number of motor vehicle registrations (e.g. 1.5 fatalities per 10,000 motor vehicles in 2001 compared with 2.1 in 1992). Data by provincial jurisdiction is shown in Addendum Table A4-6.

Road Safety Vision 2010 — Road Safety Vision 2010 (RSV 2010) was adopted in the fall of 2001. It has a national target to decrease the average number of road users killed or seriously injured by 30 per cent by 2010. (For more information on Canada's road safety record, including international comparisons, and on RSV 2010 targets and the nine sub-target areas, visit www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/vision/2010/en/menu.htm.) Figure 4-3 and tables A4-7 to A4-9 in the Addendum demonstrate how past safety initiatives in RSV 2010 sub-target areas have contributed to reducing fatalities over the years.

Seat belts — One of the key RSV 2010 sub-targets is to increase seat belt-wearing rates. A national seat belt survey conducted each June since 1988 shows that the rate for passenger car drivers has reached a plateau, hovering just above 90 per cent since 1995. The increased use of seat belts has contributed to saving thousands of lives over the years. In 2001, almost 40 per cent of those killed and nearly 19 per cent of those seriously injured were not using a seat belt at the time of the collision.

FIGURE 4-3: OCCUPANT FATALITIES DECREASE AS SEAT BELT-WEARING RATES INCREASE, 1988 – 2001

Source: Transport Canada, based on Transportation Safety Board data

Drinking drivers — As Table A4-7 in the Addendum shows, the percentage of fatally injured drivers who were tested and found to have over the legal limit of blood alcohol concentration (from 40 per cent in the late 1980s with over 81 mg% in blood alcohol concentration to less then 30 per cent in recent years) has declined steadily. The same is true for the number of persons charged with impaired driving offences (70,539 in 2001 compared with 112,000 in 1991). It is not known whether the decrease in charges is a result of public education programs, stiffer penalties or reductions in police enforcement, or a combination of all these factors. Despite these declines, alcohol was still a contributing factor in approximately 1,200 road fatalities and 3,600 serious injuries in 1999 (latest data).

Young drivers and passengers — Another Road Safety Vision 2010 sub-target is to decrease the number of young drivers and passengers (aged 16-19 years) killed or seriously injured in crashes. Among seven age groups, the youth group (aged 15-19 years) had the smallest proportion of all drivers involved in fatal collisions (nine per cent) and injury collisions (10 per cent) but the highest driver involvement rates in fatal and injury collisions rates per 100,000 licensed drivers. As Addendum Table A4-8 shows, a promising three-year trend indicates that this same age group had the greatest decreases in involvement rates in fatal collisions and in injury collisions.

Commercial Vehicles — Another RSV 2010 sub-target is to reduce the number of road users killed or seriously injured in crashes involving commercial vehicles. As Addendum Table A4-9 shows, from 1997 to 2001, commercial vehicles accounted for about eight per cent of all vehicles involved in all types of collisions, yet collisions involving commercial vehicles were the source of roughly 20 per cent of all road fatalities. In 2001, 548 fatalities resulted from collisions involving commercial vehicles. Fatigue is recognized as a major factor in transportation accidents. Consequently, a key initiative in recent years has been to revise and modernize the hours of service rules under the National Safety Code, allowing trucking companies to better manage the fatigue factor in their operations. For more information on the hours of service rules, visit www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/reg/reg_e.htm.

As Addendum tables A4-10 and A4-11 show, compared to large trucks (trucks >4,536 kilograms), private automobiles had a more noted decrease of vehicles involved in fatal collisions over the five-year period 1996 - 2000. Although pedestrian fatalities decreased from 372 in 2000 to 335 in 2001, this group accounted for the third largest share of the total (14 per cent).

Marine

In the marine transportation sector, the downward trend in accidents continued in 2002. A total of 483 accidents were reported last year, the lowest figure in more than 25 years. The majority of marine accidents were shipping accidents. There were 447 in 2002, 10 per cent fewer than the previous five-year average. Foreign-flag vessels were involved in 13 per cent of these shipping accidents in 2002. For more details on accidents reported to the Transportation Safety Board, see Addendum tables A4-12 to A4-14. Accidents aboard ship made up the remainder of marine accidents. The number of such accidents dropped from 59 in 2001 to 36 in 2002, and was down 45 per cent from the five-year average (65).

At the regional level, Addendum Table A4-13 shows that the largest decline in 2002 was recorded on the Pacific Coast, where shipping accidents (139) were 20 per cent below the five-year average.

Source: Transportation Safety Board

Canadian-flag vessels — The number of Canadian vessels involved in shipping accidents was down by two per cent in 2002 from 2001 and by seven per cent from the five-year average. By vessel category, fishing vessels represented the largest proportion of marine accidents, with 55 per cent. Commercial vessels accounted for 33 per cent of Canadian vessel involvement. The commercial accident rate, based on vessel-kilometres and commercial vessels >=15 gross registered tonnage (GRT), increased from 15.6 in 2001 to 16.5 in 2002.

Marine Fatalities — There were 15 fatal marine accidents involving Canadian- or foreign-flag vessels in 2002, with 26 lives lost. This represents a 21 per cent decrease from the five-year average. Marine injuries totalled 75 in 2002, an increase of seven per cent from 2001 but down nine per cent from the five-year average. A record low in the number of confirmed vessel losses was recorded in 2002 (25), half the number reported in 2001 (51) and observed, on average, over the last five years (48.4).

International — As a member of the International Maritime Organization, Canada is required to report casualties for large commercial vessels. In 2002, the Transportation Safety Board recorded no "very serious" casualties (e.g. loss of life, total vessel loss, severe pollution) involving Canadian vessels. There were four such accidents recorded in the 1997 - 2001 period. There were two Canadian-vessel "serious" casualties (e.g. main engine failure or damage rendering the ship unable to proceed, pollution) in 2002, down from the previous five-year average of six. Canada is also a signatory to two Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) on Port State Control. Under these MOUs, 1,159 foreign-flag vessels were inspected in 2002, resulting in 49 vessels being detained. As a result of improved targetting of ships, the number of substandard ships trading in Canadian ports has decreased. For more information on how Canada compares internationally, visit www.parismou.org, www.tokyo-mou.org and www.imo.org.

Small Commercial Vessels — In 2002, small vessels (<=150 GRT) engaged in commercial operations, excluding fishing, represented 12 per cent of Canadian vessels involved (54) in shipping accidents. Of these, 30 were engaged in passenger/charter activities. As a result of recent fatal accidents involving passenger vessels, Transport Canada has focussed additional safety efforts on small commercial vessels, particularly vessels <15 GRT carrying 12 or fewer passengers. Amendments to the existing regulations that require passenger safety briefings and life saving equipment were implemented in 2002. Recent improvements to the safety regime for these vessel include: inspector training to increase quality and consistency; a first and spot inspections system to improve compliance with safety requirements; and a checklist and electronic database to record inspections, operator training, and passenger awareness.

Small Fishing Vessels — Despite changes in the fishing industry, including moratoriums, small vessels engaged in commercial fishing activity continue to represent approximately half of Canadian vessel involvement and account for the majority of marine fatalities. In 2002, as in previous years, the majority of accidents for these vessels involved grounding (65), followed by flooding (38). Sixteen small fishing vessels were confirmed lost in 2002; although this figure is down from the five-year average, it still represents the largest proportion of total losses reported. For more details, see Addendum Table A4-14.

Pollution accidents — The issues surrounding coastal waters have gained increased concern in light of the Prestige shipping disaster off the coast of Spain in 2002. Transport Canada is committed to phasing out single-hulled tankers by 2015 in concert with international standards and U.S. requirements.

The above three initiatives are part of the regulatory reform project under the new Canada Shipping Act 2001 (CSA 2001 received Royal Assent on November 1, 2001). For more information on regulatory and safety regime improvements for these initiatives, visit www.tc.gc.ca/marine/menu.htm. For occurrence information on recreational boating and related regulatory initiatives, visit www.redcross.ca and www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca.

Aviation

Air accident figures in 2002 continued a general downward trend and represented the lowest annual number of accidents, including fatalities, involving Canadian-registered aircraft in the last 25 years. The number of accidents involving aircraft decreased eight per cent (from 295 in 2001 to 273 in 2002) and more markedly by 20 per cent from the 1997 - 2001 five-year average of 339.6. There were five fewer fatal accidents in 2002 than in 2001 (28 versus 33) and 14 fewer fatalities (47 versus 61). Over the previous five-year average, there was a greater decrease in fatal accidents (34.4) and in fatalities (70.6). The number of serious injuries increased slightly, from 37 in 2001 to 42 in 2002, but remained below the five-year average of 50. This section presents the Canadian-registered aircraft accidents only; for more details, please see Addendum Table A4-15.

As Addendum Table A4-16 shows, the 2002 aeroplane accident rates by hours flown, itinerant movements and the number of Canadian-registered aeroplanes all confirm about the same rates or decreasing rates compared with 2001 and the previous five-year average. Addendum tables A4-17A and A4-17B provide a breakdown by province of aviation accidents, fatal accidents and fatalities.

Canada's vastness means that both its airspace and aviation community are among the largest in the world. Canadians rely heavily on air transportation to move people and goods safely and securely. With the predicted increases in traffic (expected to double globally in the next 15 years), the challenge for civil aviation authorities will be to find innovative ways to lower the accident rate even further and maintain high public confidence in the safety of the aviation system.

Flight 2005 — Transport Canada is continuing its strong partnership approach to ensure that a solid foundation is established with the aviation community and the Canadian public for achieving Flight 2005 safety targets. Recently, changes have been made to the safety indicators and targets table contained in Flight 2005 in order to establish a consistent data source for tracking progress. For a broad overview of the safety initiatives under way in support of Flight 2005 goals, visit www.tc.gc.ca/CivilAviation/Flight2005/Status/Menu.htm.

Two of the key targets of Flight 2005 relate to airlines and commuter aircraft. The year 2002 was a safe one for airlines and commuter aircraft, with no fatal accidents and few reported accidents. There were six accidents for both airlines and commuter aircraft in 2002, which is below the five-year average. The 2002 accident rates for airliners and commuter aircraft (0.5 and 1.9 per 100,000 hours flown, respectively) confirm consistent to or a decreasing trend over that of the previous years.

A further target area pertains to the combined Private/Other aircraft operations. This sector accounted for 67 per cent of all airplane accidents in 2002 and 58 per cent of the 1997 - 2001 five-year average. Accidents involving the Private/Other category decreased by 17 per cent in 2002 and by 14 per cent over the previous five-year average. In addition, there were four fewer fatal accidents in this category than in 2001. Flight training is included as part of this category of air operations; on average, it accounted for 20 to 25 per cent of all airplane accidents between 1997 and 2001. The accident rates for the aerial work sector decreased in 2002 (11.2 per 100,000 hours compared with 18.5 in 2001) but remained one of the highest among the aircraft sectors.

In 2002, there were 864 reported incidents in total. Incidents refer to those occurrences that did not result in an accident but in which there is an identified potential for an accident to occur. The Declared Emergencies category (requiring priority handling by air traffic control or standby by emergency response services) continued to represent the largest share (32 per cent) of this total, followed by the Risk of Collision / Loss of Separation (23 per cent).

Safety Management Systems (SMS) — Implementing safety management systems into aviation organizations is seen as the cornerstone for improving the safety and economic performance of the aviation industry. In support of the regulatory initiatives under way, advisory material has been published highlighting what is involved in implementing SMS. Civil Aviation has also embarked on an education campaign, which is an integral part of preparing to expand SMS applicability throughout the industry.

For more information on Flight 2005 and SMS, visit ww.tc.gc.ca/CivilAviation/menu.htm.

Transportation of Dangerous Goods

In 2002, there were 580 reportable accidents involving the transportation of dangerous goods, up from 436 in 2001. Few accidents involving dangerous goods are actually caused by the goods themselves. Most often, they are caused by other factors such as weather conditions. Of the 580 reportable accidents, dangerous goods caused only two. Most reportable accidents involving dangerous goods do not occur during transport but rather during the handling process or prior to loading or unloading.

The increase in reportable accidents in 2002 may be attributed partly to an improved awareness of the related requirements, including changes to the accident-reporting requirements in the Clear Language version of the Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) Regulations, which came into force on August 15, 2002.

There are approximately 27 million shipments of dangerous goods in Canada every year that are subject to TDG regulations. Almost all (99.99 per cent) arrive safely at their destinations. Among the four modes of transport, 93 per cent of dangerous goods are shipped by road, and, therefore, most reportable accidents (90 per cent) occur in this mode. For details on the number of reportable accidents by mode of transport and those accidents resulting in fatalities and injuries, see Addendum tables A4-18 to A4-20.

The majority of deaths and injuries involving the transportation of dangerous goods were caused by the accident (a collision) itself, not the dangerous goods. In 2002, 18 fatalities and 107 injuries resulted from accidents involving dangerous goods. Of these, one death and 43 injuries resulted from the dangerous goods themselves.

Dangerous goods tanks and cylinders in fire — Accident data indicated that pressurized tank failures in fires involving dangerous goods resulted in fatalities, prompting Transport Canada to undertake research in this area. In October 2002, Transport Canada sponsored an International Symposium on the Protection of Dangerous Goods Tanks and Cylinders in Fire to exchange information and results from research.

International harmonization — Transport Canada continues to harmonize regulatory requirements with other jurisdictions. Through participation in NAFTA-related initiatives, Canada proposed the establishment of harmonized North American Model Standards for highway and rail tank cars. Agreement has been reached to undertake such work for both the manufacture and use of rail and truck tanks, with Canada leading the work on rail tanks. Such work is important for the prevention of accidental releases of dangerous goods.

Highway tank safety standards — A Transport Canada study (TP#13678E) of accidents involving dangerous goods vehicles indicated that 83 per cent of vehicle rollovers involved tank trucks. Transport Canada has introduced a program to test the stability of different trucks and to collect data for enhancing highway tank safety standards.

For more information on these initiatives, including the new Clear Language version of the TDG Regulations, visit www.tc.gc.ca/tdg/menu.htm.

Transportation Safety

Transportation Security