Driving in Canada's capital has become more dangerous than ever. Ottawa traffic fatalities increased from 26 to 32 in 2017 as compared to 2016, while also marking a 30% increase over 2015 figures. When you dissect the details around automobile-related collisions in the city, it makes sense to know when and where the most mishaps occur. It's also prudent to estimate costs for specific plans such as Toyota car insurance within the town's borders.
Intersections with the Highest Number of 2017 Collisions:
Hunt Club Road and Riverside Drive:
- West Hunt Club Road and West Woodroffe Avenue
- Baseline Road and Woodroffe Avenue
Now that you know which streets to be cautious of, continue your vigilance by paying attention to the most precarious times to travel. Unsurprisingly, rush hour commutes require heightened driver awareness. The greatest number of accidents occur on Fridays, between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. in Ottawa, and the winter months naturally figure as the time of year when travel presents the greatest risk.
With bleak statistics come bleak rankings. A survey conducted by Allstate revealed that Ottawa was the ninth-most dangerous Canadian city to navigate by car. For the time frame between 2008 and 2018, the auto insurance carrier reported collision claims for 6.6 out of each 100 cars in the city, a 22% increase over that 10 years.
The study further uncovered that among 81 participating locales across the country, Ottawa ranked a dismal 78th in terms of the safest places to drive, also polling third in Ontario behind Ajax and North York.
How Ottawa Aims to Make Roads Safer
Where traffic problems exist, quests for solutions typically take shape. Ottawa officials have crafted a plan that hinges on driver awareness, public education, infrastructural improvement, and stepped-up enforcement to increase road safety. Agencies advocating for less hazardous travel on Ottawa thoroughfares have banded together in their efforts.
More vulnerable to traffic mishaps than any other group, motorcyclists, pedestrians, and cyclists factor heavily into bolstered safety measures on Ottawa roads. With a significant percentage of fatalities involving victims between the ages of 5 through 19, Ottawa police have rolled out hands-on safety programs specifically aimed at elementary school children guided through simulated risky traffic scenarios.
Residents and commuters can expect to see a communications blitz that will pointedly target young males through newspaper articles, social media campaigns, along with television and radio advertisements. According to Transport Canada statistics, men between the ages of 25 and 34 accounted for about 18% of all 2016 accidents involving serious injury and death.
In areas where aggressive driving results in numerous angle collisions, public works officials have installed more red-light cameras, in addition to larger traffic signals and signage to grab a greater share of driver attention.
Down the Road
The streets of Ottawa can stand some improvement when it comes to operator, passenger, and pedestrian safety. Coordinated efforts between government agencies and improved cooperation among drivers and other road users should help cut down on casualties and fatalities. More information on the Ottawa Police Service's further endeavours to protect the public can be found here. Drivers can see firsthand how Honda car insurance quotes, for example, are impacted by obtaining quotes at Rates.ca.
