2022 Road Report: Swift measures are needed to protect vulnerable users

Press releases
Published on June 12, 2023

This morning, the SAAQ (Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec) unveiled its 2022 report, which contains particularly worrying data. The sharp rises in fatalities for certain groups reinforce the necessity of doing everything in our power to protect vulnerable users.  

The picture is grim. Fatalities are at a ten-year high. The rate of pedestrian fatalities has risen sharply. The same applies to people aged 75 and over. No matter where we look, positive data for 2022 are hard to come by. And, as we approach the busy travel season, 2023 is set to be no less disastrous, with a deadly start for spring on the roads.

For a safer mobility: the time to act is now!

In view of this data, CAA-Quebec reiterates the importance, or rather the urgency, of taking action by adopting a national road safety strategy (available in French only), a measure that is critical for vulnerable road users, whose situation is worsening at a dramatic rate. Such a strategy must adopt an inclusive approach inspired by Vision Zero.

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“With a 10-year high in fatalities on the roads and vulnerable road users still at risk, Quebec will have to pull out all the stops to reverse the trend and better protect our fellow citizens. The solutions are right within our grasp: safer layouts, laws and regulations applied with discernment, and ongoing education and awareness-raising.”

– Marco Harrison, Director of the CAA-Quebec Foundation and Road Safety Expert

As the summer season draws nearer and more people travel, it’s imperative to raise awareness among all users of the need to share the road more effectively. Everyone has a role to play in improving road safety. Many of us spend varying amounts of time as motorists, cyclists or pedestrians … we can collectively do better by taking individual responsibility. To this end, CAA-Quebec’s experts encourage the community to keep three key principles in mind for better road cohabitation: courtesy, civic-mindedness and collaboration.

Highlights of the SAAQ’s 2022 Road Report

  • A total of 392 deaths were recorded in 2022, an increase of 13.2% compared with the average from 2017 to 2021. Such a high number of deaths has not been observed since 2013.
  • More than half of all fatalities (216 deaths, or 55.1%) were occupants of an automobile or light truck. This represents a 20.7% increase over 2021, and a 12.6% increase over the 2017–2021 average. The 216 fatalities reported in 2022 in this category represent the worst result for the period under review.
  • The number of pedestrian fatalities in 2022 was 79. It marks an increase of 24 deaths over 2021, and 22.7% over the 2017–2021 average of 64 pedestrian fatalities. At 79, this represents 20% of all deaths in 2022.
  • The number of people aged 75 or over who lost their life, totalling 58, increased by 21.8% compared with the average for 2017 to 2021. The rate of deaths per 100,000 inhabitants for this age group increased from 6.4 to 7.3 deaths, while the overall rate of deaths from road accidents stands at 4.5 per 100,000 inhabitants.
  • The number of fatalities among motorcyclists reached 61. This represents a 10.1% increase on the 2017–2021 average. Motorcycle occupants will account for 16% of fatalities in 2022.
  • In 2022, the number of people deceased in an accident involving a heavy vehicle was 95, which represents an increase of 17.3% compared with the average from 2017 to 2021.

View the full 2022 Road Report.  

About CAA-Quebec

CAA-Quebec, a non-profit organization, assists each of its members by providing mobility, travel, insurance and residential benefits, products and services. CAA was named the number one most trusted brand in Canada in the annual Trusted Brand Index for 2022 by the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business at the University of Victoria.

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