4
Transportation and Safety
Transportation Occurrences
In general, 1998 was a year of mixed success. It was marked
with some tragic and high-profile occurrences, ranging from the
sinking of the Cypriot bulk carrier, MV Flare, in January
1998 with 21 fatalities, to the crash of Swissair Flight
111 with 229 fatalities. This crash was the single worst aviation
accident in the world in 1998. Although it happened on Canadian
territory, it will not appear in Canada's transportation system
safety record because the aircraft was not Canadian-registered
or operated by a Canadian carrier.
Despite these tragic accidents, Canada's overall safety record
continued to improve in 1998. The number of accidents in the marine,
rail and road modes declined from both the previous year and their
respective five-year averages. In the case of air, the number
of accidents involving Canadian-registered aircraft was up from
1997 levels, the accident total was in line with the five-year
average.
Table 4-1 compares transportation occurrences by mode with
the five-year average.
These comparisons can be misleading as they do not take into
account the specifics of each mode, nor do they reflect the level
of activity or exposure to risk associated with each particular
mode.
The number of road accidents in 1996 was approximately
seven per cent lower than the average of the previous
five years, while the number of road fatalities in 1997 was almost
nine per cent lower than the five-year average.
Aviation and marine fatalities rose in 1998 as a result of
a few tragic accidents but declined in the rail mode. While aviation
fatalities were up, the number of fatal aviation accidents in
1998 fell significantly to 31 from the 1997 level of 36 and the
comparable five-year average (43).
The accident rate, which takes into account the level of activity
in each mode, also shows a general downward trend in 1998. The
levels of activity suggest the accident rates in the marine, rail
and aviation modes were below the corresponding averages for the
previous five years. In aviation, for example, the accident rate
per 100,000 flying hours, while up slightly from 1997, was well
below the five-year average, and significantly below that of the
past 10 years.
Table 4-2 presents accident rates by mode for the most recent
year and the five-year average.
Marine accident rates indicate a continuing downward trend,
with shipping accidents involving Canadian commercial vessels
per 1,000 trips down to 4.3 in 1998 from 4.5 for the 1993-1997
five year average. This is attributed, in part, to a continuing
decrease in marine activity. For rail, the 1998 rate fell
to 14.2 accidents per million train-miles, down from the
1993-1997 average of 15.2 accidents.
Figure 4-1 shows the number of transportation of dangerous
goods reportable accidents for the period 1989 to 1998.
Rail
Domestic Operations
Prior to August 1992, railway occurrences such as main-track
derailments, non main-track collisions and derailments, and crossing
accidents had a different reporting criteria. This is a contributing
factor to the increase in rail occurrences after 1992 as illustrated
in Table 4-3.
The statistics presented in this section include all railways
under federal jurisdiction. In 1998, a total of 1,081 railway
accidents were reported, down four per cent from 1997 levels and
nine per cent below the annual average between 1993 and 1997.
This represents an accident rate of 14.2 accidents per million
train-miles, on an estimated base of 76.3 million train-miles.
This rate was consistent with that of 1997, and lower than the
annual average rate of 15.2 between 1993 and 1997.
Of total rail-related accidents reported in 1998, non main-track
derailments and collisions accounted for 46 per cent; crossing
accidents 26 per cent, and main-track derailments ten per cent.
Table 4-3 provides a summary of rail accidents for the period
1989 - 1998.
There were 100 rail fatalities in 1998 - the lowest
number of fatalities for the 10-year reference period, and less
than the 5-year average of 114. Historically, most rail fatalities
result from accidents at crossings or accidents involving trespassers.
As these two areas are of particular concern to the federal government,
it has initiated several programs to address these issues.
Railway crossing accidents by province from 1989 to 1998 are
presented in Table 4-4.
The 277 total crossing accidents reported in 1998 represent
the lowest number of accidents since 1989, down 10 per cent from
1997 and 24 per cent below the five-year average. Accidents at
automated protected crossings remained constant at 48 per cent.
Fatal crossing accidents, as a proportion of total accidents,
increased to 15 per cent in 1998, up from the five-year average
of 10 per cent. Crossing accidents involving passenger trains,
however, have remained relatively constant for the last two years
and are down 15 per cent over the last five years.
Table 4-5 summarizes the number of rail trespasser accidents
by province.
The 80 accidents involving rail trespassers in 1998 represents
a decline of 18 per cent from 1997. Compared with the previous
5-year average, these accidents have declined by one-quarter.
Ontario accounted for 44 per cent of all trespasser accidents.
Fatal accidents made up 69 per cent of total trespasser accidents,
a decrease of 10 per cent from the 1993 to 1997 average. Passenger
trains were involved in one-third of the 1998 accidents, up from
the 1997 level.
In order to improve the level of rail safety in Canada, the
program Direction 2006 addresses specifically these crossing and
trespasser types of accidents, with the goal to reduce grade crossing
accidents and trespasser fatalities by 50 per cent by the year
2006. Public awareness and education programs, monitoring and
enforcement, safety programs and research will be the focus.
International Comparisons
Figure 4-2 provides a comparison of crossing accidents in Canada
and the US between 1993 and 1998.
Both countries have been able to reduce the rate of rail crossing
accidents. The accident rate in Canada, while relatively stable
for the initial three years of the reference period, has declined
since 1996. Over the same period, the rate in the US has also
shown a steady decline. On average, Canada's railway crossing
accident rate per million train-miles has been 20 per cent lower
than that of the US.
Figure 4-3 shows crossing and trespasser fatalities.
These fatalities account for most of the rail-related fatalities
in Canada. While the fatality rate has remained relatively constant
over the last two years, fatalities declined in 1998.
Road
The most recent annual data on Motor Vehicle is 1997 for fatalities,
injuries and casualty collisions and 1996 for property damage
only (PDO) collisions.
Domestic Operations
Canada's road safety record has been steadily improving over
the last several years. In 1997, there were 3,064 fatalities from
motor vehicle accidents, the lowest total in 41 years (statistics
have been recorded since 1945). The number of road-related fatalities
was down 0.6 per cent from 1996 and down 2.1 per cent from the
annual average between 1992 and 1996.
Table 4-6 illustrates the total number of road-related casualty
collisions, fatalities and injuries.
Casualty collisions include both fatalities and injuries. There
has also been a general downward trend in casualty collisions,
with numbers down four per cent from 1996, and nine per cent from
the annual average between 1992 and 1996. Fatalities also declined
in 1997 to 0.6 per cent below the 1996 figure and nine per cent
below the average between 1992 and 1996 annual average.
Table 4-7 shows road fatalities classified by six major categories
of road users.
Virtually all categories contributed to an overall downward
trend in fatalities between 1992 and 1997. Drivers are the single
largest category of road fatalities. In 1997, they made up 51.2
per cent of total road fatalities, while pedestrians accounted
for 13.2 per cent.
Road fatality rates by province are presented in Figure 4-4.
The highest fatality rates over the three-year period from
1995 to 1997 were in the Northwest Territories and the Yukon,
reflecting the low number of vehicles registered and the more
difficult highway conditions. Newfoundland and Ontario had the
lowest fatality rates during this period.
Figure 4-5 shows the percentage of road collisions and fatalities
involving commercial vehicles.
From 1989 to 1996, collisions involving commercial vehicles
accounted for eight per cent of all road collisions and roughly
18.2 per cent of road fatalities.
Table 4-8 provides a breakdown of commercial and other vehicles
involved in fatal collisions by type of vehicle.
Statistics on fatal motor vehicle collisions by type of vehicle
are presented in Table 4-9.
In 1996, the private automobile accounted for 55 per cent of
the total fatal collisions by vehicle. This share is down slightly
from 1992, when the automobile accounted for 58 per cent. Light
duty trucks and vans had the second largest share of fatal collisions
by vehicle in 1996,
with 24 per cent.
International Comparisons
As a result of its successes in improving motor vehicle safety,
Canada ranks as one of the top Organization for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.
Figure 4-6 compares the fatality rates per 10,000 motor vehicles
registered among some member countries of the OECD between 1994
and 1996.
Vehicle ownership rates are considered to be an indicator of
motor vehicle activity and exposure to risk. Canada's vehicle
ownership rate was 57.5 per 100 inhabitants in 1996, compared
with the US, which has the highest among OECD countries with 76.
Higher ownership rates in Canada and in the US indicate a greater
degree of reliance on this mode of transportation and a higher
exposure to risk for travellers.
Marine
Domestic Operations
The marine industry reported a total of 546 marine accidents
in 1998 - a 23-year low. Shipping accidents were down
to 487 or nine per cent below the 1997 level and approximately
27 per cent less than the average between 1993 and 1997. On average,
shipping accidents have declined by nine per cent per year
since 1990. In addition to shipping accidents, there were 59 accidents
aboard ship, a figure consistent with recent years.
The most common type of shipping accident was groundings with
127 or 26 per cent of the year's total. Strikings were the second
most frequent type of accident, accounting for 17 per cent.
Virtually all types of accidents declined in 1998. The one exception
was collisions which represented three per cent of total accidents
There were 530 vessels involved in shipping accidents during
the year, an 8 per cent decrease from 1997 levels and a 28 per
cent reduction over the five-year average. Fishing vessels represented
the largest portion of vessels involved in shipping accidents,
accounting for 48 per cent of the total, down from 56
per cent the previous year. The number of accidents involving
the commercial category increased with the exception of barges.
Ferry and passenger vessels involved in accidents, for example,
increased from 30 to 45, while the number of tanker accidents
was up to 18 from 13 in 1997. The 1998 accident level, in
both cases, was comparable to their respective five-year averages.
Non-fishing vessels involved in shipping accidents rose to
198 in 1998 from 176 in 1997. Conversely, the number of fishing
vessels involved in accidents fell to 245 from 309 in 1997. Accidents
involving foreign-flag vessels in Canadian waters totalled 87
in 1998 compared with 90 the previous year. Of this total, the
vast majority - 91 per cent - were non-fishing
vessels.
There were 46 vessels lost in 1998, a figure substantially
below the 1997 total of 60 and the five-year average of 76. The
Western Region alone reported half of these losses. Small fishing
vessels accounted for the largest proportion of vessels lost in
Canada, 40 in 1998.
The number of marine-related fatalities increased to 47 in
1998 from 24 in 1997. This increase can be attributed, in large
part, to the 21 lives lost on the Cypriot-registered MV
FLARE off Canada's east coast. Of the total fatalities in
1998, 38 were the result of shipping accidents, while the remainder
were the result of accidents aboard ship.
The 158 shipping incidents in 1998 were consistent with 1997
levels yet down 15 per cent from the five-year average. The most
common incidents reported were related to engine, rudder or propeller
problems. The greatest reduction in recent years has been in the
number of close-quarters situations reported, occurrences where
the vessel is involved in a risk of collision, represented 23 per cent
of the total in 1998, well below the five-year average of 32 per
cent.
Marine occurrences from 1989 to 1998 are summarized in Table 4-10.
The decline in marine accidents is in line with an estimated
decline in overall shipping activity in Canada, particularly with
respect to fishing. Activity by vessel type indicates an estimated
decline of nine per cent in the number of fishing-vessel trips
(vessels greater than 15 gross registered tonnes) in 1998 over
1997. Commercial vessel activity is estimated to have declined
by six per cent in 1998.
Regional Overview
Canada is divided into six marine accident reporting regions.
Accidents occurring in foreign waters involving Canadian vessels
are also captured as part of the regular statistical occurrence
reporting (Figure 4-7).
Typically, the Western Region has reported the largest portion
of shipping accidents. In 1998, the region had 40 per cent of
total accidents or 194. This is up slightly from the 183 accidents
in 1997, but well below the region's five-year average of 240.
Fishing vessels made up 66 per cent of the total number of vessels
involved (211).
The Maritime Region reported 86 accidents, a decrease from
107 in 1997. Of the 94 vessels involved, 60 were fishing vessels.
The Newfoundland Region showed the largest single decrease in
the number of shipping accidents in 1998, reporting 59, well below
the 105 of the previous year. The decrease is largely due to the
drop in the number of fishing vessels involved in accidents to
49 from 84 in 1997.
Shipping accidents in the Laurentian Region were up to 72 in
1998 from 64 in 1997. Of the 81 vessels involved, 46 were in the
cargo, oil / bulk / ore carrier (OBO), or tanker category. There
were 56 accidents in the Central Region, unchanged from the previous
year, but down dramatically from the five-year average of 76.
Accidents in the Arctic (4) remained virtually unchanged from
the previous year.
Port State Control
In Canada, there were 1,186 inspections carried out in 1998
under the two Memoranda of UnderstandingNote 1 (MOU) on Port
State Control, to which Canada is a signatory. The Port State
Control initiative enables Transport Canada to inspect foreign
ships entering Canadian ports to determine compliance with international
maritime conventions for enhancing the safety of life at sea and
protecting the marine environment.
Vessels from 65 different flags of registry were inspected
in 1998. Almost half or 581 were found to have defects, with 25
per cent serious enough to require the vessels to be detained.
The majority of vessels inspected were bulk carriers, accounting
for 43 per cent of the total. Of those, 20 per cent were
detained. The largest number of vessels detained by country flag
were of Cypriot registry. Of the 91 Cypriot vessels inspected,
27 were detained, representing 19 per cent of the total number
of vessels detained.
Recreational Boating
Drownings from recreational boating in 1996 - the
most current year for which data is available - totalled
156. This figure is comparable to the 1995 total of 153, and slightly
above the average of 146 between 1991 and 1995. The largest proportion
of drownings were associated with fishing, which accounted for
33 per cent, followed by power boating with 19 per cent.
Drownings by type of boat indicate that small open powerboats
and canoes had the greatest numbers with 29 per cent and 24 per
cent, respectively. Ontario reported the largest percentage of
drownings with 32 per cent, followed by Quebec with 21 per
cent.
There were 20 non-drowning boating fatalities in 1996, compared
with 15 in 1995. Of these, 14 involved collision or trauma and
6 were the result of immersion hypothermia. Half of the fatalities
for both these accident types occurred in British Columbia.
Aviation
Domestic Operations
The following section deals with transportation occurrences
involving Canadian-registered aircraft. It does not extend to
occurrences involving foreign aircraft, accidents involving ultra-light
or advanced ultra-light aircraft.
In 1998, there were 384 accidents involving Canadian-registered
aircraft. While this represents an eight per cent increase over
1997, it is only above by 1.6 per cent over the average between
1993 and 1997.
Table 4-11 shows the number of accidents and fatal accidents
by type of aircraft from 1989 to 1998.
Over this 10-year period, accidents for most aircraft types
declined significantly, most notably in the private/state category.
Nevertheless, this category still had the largest portion of accidents
involving Canadian-registered aircraft. In 1998, accidents involving
private operators accounted for 40 per cent of the total
number of accidents, virtually unchanged from 42 per cent in 1997.
The private/state category accounted for a 45 per cent share of
all fatal accidents in 1998, although the number of such accidents
(14) was less than one-half the level it held ten years earlier
(35).
Airliners include commercial aircraft that have a maximum take-off
weight of greater than 8,618 kilograms, or that are authorized
to carry more than 20 passengers. In 1998, airliners were
involved in 15 accidents, up from an average of 8 between 1993
and 1997. None of these accidents resulted in fatalities, and
all were relatively minor in nature. Regional or larger commuter
aircraft are those having a maximum take-off weight of less than
8,618 kilograms or having from 10 to 19 seats. Accidents involving
these aircraft were well below 1997 levels and the five-year average.
There were no fatal accidents involving airliner operations in
1998, while there was one involving a commuter aircraft (fatal
accident at Mirabel).
Most commercial accidents involve the air taxi or aerial work
category. In 1998, of the 162 commercial aviation accidents,
138 or 85 per cent, involved the
air taxi or aerial work category. This represents a jump of 19 per cent
from 1997, and is approximately 16 per cent higher than the five-year
average. The flight training, test/demonstration and aerial application
categories also registered significant year-over-year increases.
Regional Overview
Table 4-12 summarizes air accidents by region between 1989
and 1998.
While the number of air accidents rose in 1998, there has been
a downward trend in all regions over the 10-year period. In 1998,
the Prairie and Northern region accounted for more than one-third
or 34 per cent of all accidents involving Canadian-registered
aircraft, followed by Ontario with 28 per cent, and the Pacific
with 18 per cent. The largest single year-over-year (1998 - 1997)
increases occurred in the Ontario and Prairie / Northern regions.
Accidents in the Quebec region in 1998 were down significantly
(31 per cent).
Table 4-13 shows air fatalities by region from 1989 to 1998.
Although air fatalities were up eight per cent in 1998, compared
with the previous five-year average, they were down (almost five
per cent). The Quebec region had the highest number of fatalities
in 1998, with 27, followed by the Prairie and Northern region
with 20 and the Pacific with 12. The high number of fatalities
in the Quebec region was largely attributable to two major accidents,
one at Mirabel and the other at Baie Comeau.
Some of the fatal accidents involved smaller commercial aircraft
such as air taxi or aerial work operations. Air taxi / aerial
work category includes those aircraft used by a Canadian operator
for an on-hire basis that does neither an airliner or air commuter
aircraft. It includes such specialty services as aerial photography,
and aerial application.
Serious injuries resulting from accidents were also down from
1997 and remained below the five-year average.
In 1998, the number of reported incidents involving either
Canadian or foreign-registered aircraft increased by 13 per cent
over 1997 and by 21 per cent over the average between 1993 and
1997. Declared emergencies, engine failures and smoke or fire
incidents were also up, while incidents involving loss of separation,
collisions and risk of collision declined. Loss of separation
refers to an occurrence in which less than the authorized minimum
separation or distance between two aircraft was not assured. The
category includes collision (with terrain, with an object, with
another aircraft, etc.) risk of collision as well as loss of separation.
The increase in incidents was due, in part, to an increase
in the level of aviation activity in 1998 (up four per cent over
1997), and to the heightened sensitivity created from high-profile
occurrences such as the Swissair accident. Transport Canada is
conducting a detailed examination of smoke or fire incidents to
determine whether any safety deficiencies exist.
International Comparisons
Table 4-14 provides a comparison of the proportion of fatal
air accidents for Canada and the US. Over the period 1993 - 1998,
the rates tended to be highly similar.
Comparing the safety records of the US and Canada is difficult
both in terms of identifying the basis for comparison and having
a consistent and appropriate level of detail. This is primarily
due to the ways in which they classify and record their respective
data and information, the fundamental differences of the two countries'
air transport systems - Canada's largely linear network
and the US's hubbing system. Both countries are currently active
members of an international panel and forums to establish a common
taxonomy and systems for interpreting aviation related information.
In 1996, Transport Canada introduced a change in the classification
system for commercial aircraft, moving away from the carrier level
system associated with the size of the operator to one that classifies
according to the primary purpose for which the aircraft is registered.
The US also introduced its own changes, which took effect in March
1997. These changes reclassified aircraft carrying between 10
and 29 passengers, which had been previously classified under
Part 135, to be included under Part 121. The immediate effect
of this change was to drastically reduce the total number of hours
flown in the Part 135 scheduled service category and increase
the number of hours flown in the Part 121 scheduled services.
From a safety perspective, the US had a successful year. According
to the preliminary US aviation accident statistics report for
1998, there were no passenger fatalities for American-registered
scheduled airlines flying under both Part 121 and Part 135 (less
than 10 seats. Although there have been years in which there were
no fatalities under Part 121, there has never been a year in which
there were no Part 135 fatalities.
Transportation of Dangerous Goods
Every year over 27 million dangerous goods shipments are transported
across Canada. Most of these shipments include goods that directly
influence and improve the lifestyle that Canadians have come to
expect and enjoy. The Transport of Dangerous Goods (TDG) program
promotes public safety during the transportation of goods that
can threaten public safety when involved in an accidental release.
TDG accidents are called "reportable" if they meet
the reporting requirements defined in TDG program regulations.
Very few TDG accidents are caused by the dangerous goods themselves.
In 1998, there was one reportable TDG accident directly caused
by dangerous goods. No fatalities, injuries or damage to the environment
resulted from this accident.
Table 4-15 compares reportable accidents involving dangerous
goods by mode of transport.
In 1998, there were 436 reportable dangerous goods accidents.
In-transit accidents in Table 4-15 include those that occurred
during actual transport, while handling accidents are those that
took place at facilities. Many handling accidents occur in warehouses
while the goods are being handled prior to loading or unloading.
Between 1988 and 1998, more reportable dangerous goods accidents
occurred at the handling stage than while they were being transported.
The number of deaths related to dangerous goods is low.
Table 4-16 summarizes the number of deaths, as well as the
number and severity of injuries caused by the dangerous goods
at reportable accidents.
Table 4-17 gives the total number of deaths and injuries which
occurred at reportable transportation of dangerous goods accidents.
In many cases, the deaths and injuries are caused by the accident
itself (e.g. a collision), not by the goods.
In Tables 4-16 and 4-17, minor injuries refer to those injuries
that require first-aid treatment, moderate injuries require emergency
hospital treatment, and major injuries require overnight hospitalization.
Transportation Occurrences
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NOTES
1
The Paris MOU requires signatories (countries in the European
region) to inspect 25 per cent of the vessels entering their
ports. Tokyo MOU members (countries in the Asia-Pacific region)
are working toward an inspection rate of 50 per cent of vessels
entering their ports.
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