Truckers the Safest Ontario Road Users
The most recent Road Safety Annual Report released by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) shows that tractor-trailers and their drivers are the safest road users in that province.
The 2002 statistics show that four per cent of all vehicles on the road are over 4,500 kg:
- Tractor-trailers represent only 1.6 per cent of the vehicles involved in all reportable collisions.
- Tractor-trailers were involved in 13 per cent of all fatalities that took place on Ontario roadways.
The major cause of truck collisions appears to be car drivers. Class A licenced tractor-trailer drivers were found to be driving properly in 2/3 of all fatal collisions according to police reports. Mechanical defects were a factor in only two per cent of fatal collisions.
Alcohol use by truck drivers was found to be a contributing factor in only one per cent of fatalities where tractor-trailers were involved. Overall, alcohol was a contributing factor in fatal collisions involving motorcycle riders 16 per cent of the time. For pick-up truck drivers it was 17.5 per cent.
Ontario Trucking Association, July 6, 2001
Pre-1999, these registrations include trucks, buses and other commercial vehicles, such as vans. From 1999, these registrations include commercial vehicles (trucks and buses) greater than 4,500 kg.
Updated April 2004
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