Truck Crash Data in Canada

After a four-year increase, the number of tractor-trailers involved in fatal crashes in Canada fell between 1995 and 1996, according to statistics released by Transport Canada, the federal department of transportation of that country.

The data show that 294 tractor-trailers were involved in fatal crashes in 1996, down from 346 the previous year. Additionally, tractor-trailers represented 1.8% of the vehicles involved in the 1.1 million collisions reported in Canada in 1996, according to the report.

David H. Bradley, chief executive officer of the Canadian Trucking Alliance, said the numbers "prove once more that truck drivers and trucks are the safest vehicles on the road, and are getting safer."

The improvement can be traced to the fact that "companies are spending more on equipment, drivers and technology — I’m not surprised by these numbers at all," Mr. Bradley said. He also said it is important to note that the number of trucks on Canada’s highways has increased, and so have vehicle-miles.

However, Canada does not use "exposure" data, such as vehicle-miles traveled, as a safety indicator.

Between 1992 and 1995, the number of tractor-trailers involved in fatal collisions increased each year. In 1992, there were 295 tractor trailers involved in fatal collisions; followed by 343 in 1993; 328 in 1994; and 346 in 1995.