The end of the old year and beginning of the new is often a time for reflection on the past. The Ministry of Transportation has recently released road safety statistics for the year 2014 for the public to see. Among the numbers are some interesting and alarming data on fatal motor vehicle accidents.
In the year 2014, a total of 481 Ontario men, women and children were killed in 447 automobile accidents. That translates to a fatal collision rate of just 0.33 per 100 million kilometres travelled. In terms of population, 3.52 people were killed per 100,000 people in Ontario, or 0.000035 percent of the population. Put in those terms, the number seems fairly small.
Disappointingly, almost 25 percent of those fatalities occurred in accidents that involved a drunk driver. Furthermore, if accidents involving excessive speed and inattentive drivers are added in, the total accounts for more than 50 percent of all fatalities. These are frightening statistics, especially for those who obey the rules of the road.
What these statistics show is that the majority of fatal motor vehicle accidents in Ontario could be avoided. Unfortunately, it seems there are always those who do not take the safety of others into consideration when they get behind the wheel. In the event a person is killed in an accident caused by another, the family of the victim are left behind to suffer and to try and get along without their loved one. At a time like that, a personal injury lawyer may be able to help ease some of the burden of seeking compensation and dealing with insurance companies. It may be comforting for the family to know there is a concerned professional looking out for them.
Source: mto.gov.on.ca, “Preliminary 2014 Ontario Road Safety Annual Report Selected Statistics“, Accessed on Dec. 31, 2016
