Vehicle collisions on the rise in four provinces, Allstate Canada study finds

Vehicle collisions in Alberta, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Ontario are on the rise, with a 7.3% increase in frequency rate from last year, according to the seventh annual Allstate Insurance Company of Canada Safe Driving Study released on Thursday.

The study – which uses Allstate data to track collision frequency among Allstate Canada consumers in Alberta, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Ontario – found that the frequency of collisions rose nationally from 5.19% in the previous study to 5.57% this year. [click image below to enlarge]

Using their data, Allstate – which provides home and auto insurance products, including usage-based insurance – was able to rank 81 cities across the country based on collision frequency, with Spruce Grove, Alta. being rated the safest with a collision frequency of 3.43%. The community with the highest frequency in collisions was Halifax at 7.12%, Allstate noted in a press release.

“Our data is showing a trend toward rising collisions over the past two years,” said Ryan Michel, senior vice-president and chief risk officer for Allstate Canada, in the release. “While the study can only look at our data, we believe it’s important to share the trends we are seeing, in an effort to shine a light on road safety and encourage Canadians to think about what it means to be a safe driver.”

While the study showed an overall increase in the frequency of collisions, New Brunswick reported the lowest collision rates, followed by Alberta. Of the eight Albertan communities ranked in the study, three made the top 10 safest cities. Ontario was home to seven of the top 10 safest cities in Canada: Chelmsford, (#2, 3.54%); St. Thomas (#3, 3.66%); LaSalle, (#4, 3.70%); Brockville (#5, 3.83%); Belle River (#6, 3.90%); Sarnia, (#7, 4.01%); and Amherstburg (#10, 4.09%)

The rise in collisions was the highest in Nova Scotia, which saw an increase in collisions from 4.63% to 5.77%. “The study can’t account for direct reasons as to why collisions rose, but it’s important to note that a variety of factors, including increased traffic and inclement weather conditions, can play a part in an increase in collisions,” the release suggested. [click image below to enlarge]

This year’s Safe Driving Study also revealed new information about where and how most drivers are getting into collisions. The three most common types of collisions according to the data are: vehicles being rear-ended (25.17%); accidents while turning or passing through an intersection (23.54%); and accidents involving parked vehicles (13.57%).

“We may all believe that we’re taking the necessary steps to be safe on the roads, [but] it’s clear that more needs to be done to remind drivers to pay attention when they’re behind the wheel,” Michel said. “Many of the collisions we see reported are entirely preventable, so it’s important to open up a dialogue about what needs to be done to bring that number down. That is our reason for publishing the Safe Driving Study – encouraging open discussion about the trends we’re seeing so that drivers can be reminded about how important it is to be safe behind the wheel.”

As the holiday season approaches, Allstate Canada also found that two out of the three days with the most collisions occur during this time. Based on Allstate Canada collision data over the last decade, Dec. 23 is the day a collision is most likely to occur, while Dec. 21 ranks as the third most common day for collisions.

Other findings included:

• Medicine Hat (#9, 4.03%) saw the most drastic increase in collision claims in Alberta, with a 24% increase since the previous study;

• Compared to the other regions studied, Nova Scotia saw the highest frequency of collisions overall, with Hammonds Plains experiencing the most significant increase in collisions at 66%; and

• Moncton (#68, 6.33%), saw a 12% increase in collision claims.