p = Preliminary data for 2003 e = estimated N/A = Not available

Note: The available ten-year rates for rail and road differ in the Addendum Table A4-1 to the five-year rates presented in Table 4-1. For rail the ten-year rate excludes yard switching miles and for road, the available ten-year rate is per 10,000 motor vehicle registrations.

Comparing accident numbers between modes: The source and criteria for reporting accidents/incidents varies for each mode, therefore the reader should be cautious when making comparisons across modes. The type of risk exposure, frequency and magnitude of an accident, including the impact on public perception of safety, also varies. The TDG program, which includes accidents at the modal transportation facilities, does not cover dangerous goods transported in bulk on ships (as well as by pipeline) and therefore limiting the type of data comparison that can be made of in-transit TDG accidents across modes.

Comparing rates between modes and data limitations: The available activity measures (risk exposure) for determining the rate of accidents are also particular to each mode and have their own set of limitations. For marine, data is collected only for commercial vessels over 15 gross registered tonnage and, as well, there have been data collection changes over the years (e.g., in 2000, Statistics Canada made a change to the treatment of domestic tug and barge movements). The million vessel kilometres is being used for the ten-year accident rates for marine. For road, the available accident rates are based on the number of registered vehicles, rather than kilometres, which is available for recent years only. For aviation, itinerant movements (flights between and at the top 100 airports) is more representative of risk exposure (e.g., most accidents occur during take-off or landing). Rail continues to operate in train-miles. The ten-year trend for rail is available per million main track train-miles, but does not include yard switching miles. The yard switching miles, available since 1999, measures activity (exposure to risk) on other than the main track and historically accounts for approximately 50 per cent of the accidents. The approximate exposure/activity level estimates for the transportation of dangerous goods, lack the precision to provide reasonable accident rate trends. This is largely due to the difficulty inherent in isolating dangerous goods commodities.

Comparing time periods: The data reported is preliminary for 2003, as accident/incident reports can be received or revised and updated after the annual report is finalized. The difference between the final and preliminary accident totals, has historically been insignificant (e.g., about one per cent) for rail, marine and aviation. For road, collisions reported to the police are collected by the provinces/territories and provided to Transport Canada to develop the national casualty collision statistics. The one calendar year delay is due to the inherent difficulties in handling the collection and processing of high volumes of data (over 600,000 crash cases annually) and the compiling and release of statistics at the jurisdictional and then at the national levels. In addition, the long-term comparisons can be affected to varying degrees by industry, government or system-wide changes (e.g., industry restructuring, such as growth of rail shortlines notably in the mid 1990s and government devolution and commercialization of operations; recent regulatory changes, such as in the TDG accident-reporting requirements; system improvements, including introduction of new technologies).

1. Canadian-registered aircraft, other than ultralights. Accident rates per 100,000 itinerant aircraft movements at top 100 airports.
2. Accidents involving Canadian-registered vessels. Accident rates per million vessel kilometres for commercial vessels of over 15 GRT.
3. Railways under federal jurisdiction. Accident rates per million main track train-miles (excludes yard switching miles).
4. Road statistics relate to 2002 (most recent road safety statistics), and to the 1997 - 2001 five-year averages. Collision rate per 10,000 Motor Vehicle Registrations. Road accidents are casualty collisions, which exclude collisions in which only property is damaged.
5. TDG = Transportation of Dangerous Goods. Fatality data relate to only those deaths attributed to the dangerous goods.

Source: Transportation Safety Board, Transport Canada and Statistics Canada