2023 Road Safety Record: Still too many deaths on the road, says CAA-Quebec
The 2023 Road Safety Record, released this morning by Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) was no cause for celebration. The national road safety strategy and recent adjustments to the Highway Safety Code may be promising, but it’s important to remember that road safety is everyone’s business and that we need to continue protecting vulnerable users.
The 2022 record is a bitter memory for all the groups and organizations that promote road safety, with a ten-year peak in deaths, particularly among vulnerable users. Despite 2023’s lower death toll for motorcyclists (-6.9%), cyclists (-16.7%) and pedestrians (-4.3%), compared with the 2018 to 2022 average, the total of 380 deaths is hardly something to congratulate ourselves over. In fact, it’s the second-worst result since 2014, just behind 2022 with its 398 deaths.
“Road safety is a shared responsibility, and every road user, however they get around, has as a part to play in reducing the number of deaths and injuries on our roads. That shared responsibility begins with a personal awareness of our own behaviour out there.”
André DurocherDirector, CAA-Quebec Foundation
The findings are all the more worrying this year, given the sharp increase in deaths in the 15 to 24 (+31.7%) and 75 and over (+10.7%) age groups, compared to the 2018 to 2022 average.
There was however a decrease in serious injuries (-1.2%) and minor injuries (-6.8%) compared to the pre-pandemic years—again not much to celebrate.
Road safety is everyone’s business
CAA-Quebec notes and condemns a certain polarization of opinions in the social media and in various public interest debates on road safety. The organization, which has been active in road safety for over 100 years, would like to reiterate the importance of fostering a climate of collaboration that puts the protection of people, particularly vulnerable road users, first and foremost.
User groups and those who represent them have an active role to play in pooling forces to better share awareness messages with all road users. Many people are motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, and the road does not belong to one type of user more than another. “We can—and in fact must—do better as a whole, by taking responsibility as individuals,” adds Durocher. Courtesy, responsibility, and cooperation what it takes to share the road better.”
Key points from the Road Safety Record:
There were 380 deaths in 2023, which is 7.5% above the 2018 to 2022 average. It was the second-worst year since 2013 (398 deaths in 2022).
The number of deaths among occupants of cars and light trucks was 20.2% higher than the 2018 to 2022 average. Those 234 deaths were by far the most in the last six years and represent 61.6% of all road fatalities.
There were 63 pedestrian deaths in 2023. That’s down 19 from 2022 and is 4.3% less than the 2018 to 2022 average for the category, which was 66.
The number of deaths among motorcyclists was 54. That was 6.9% below the 2018 to 2022 average and the second consecutive decline in annual deaths.
The number of deaths in the 15 to 24 age group was 59, which is 31.7% higher than the 2018 to 2022 average. In 2023 the age group accounted for 15.7% of road deaths.
CAA-Quebec : on the go for road safety
Because mobility is part of daily life and everyone experiences it differently, CAA-Quebec and its Foundation work with many groups and organizations to promote safe travel. Together they raise awareness, educate and support all road users, and work with seniors and youth to reinforce the government’s road safety messages.
About CAA-Quebec
CAA-Quebec offers a wide range of assistance services in a wide variety of sectors, drawing on a human approach. As a socially committed organization, CAA-Quebec strives on a daily basis to protect the interests of its members. And in keeping with its values of reliability and benevolence, it fosters responsible consumption and promotes road safety.
–30–