For over a century, CAA has stood at the forefront of road safety advocacy in Ontario. From keeping kids safe in school zones since 1929 through the CAA School Safety Patrol program to championing seatbelt laws and advocating for the inclusion of tow truck drivers in Slow Down, Move Over legislation. CAA’s mission has always been clear: protect road users and make travel safer for everyone.

It’s why CAA is calling on the Ontario government to adopt a comprehensive Provincial Road Safety Strategy that embraces the globally recognized Safe System Approach.

Ontario has long been considered a leader in road safety, consistently ranking among the top five jurisdictions in North America. But the province has not seen consistent or significant reductions in road fatalities for some time. In fact, preliminary data from Ontario’s Road Safety Annual Report (ORSAR) shows that road fatalities have remained relatively flat: 579 deaths in 2010 compared to 616 in 2023. This stagnation signals a need for a new, more proactive framework.

The Safe System Approach offers just that. It is a proactive and holistic approach to road safety that moves away from the traditional approach that focuses on individual behaviour by emphasizing a shared responsibility to make roads safer for people. It’s already proven effective in countries like Sweden (67% reduction in fatalities between 1990 and 2017), Spain (80%), and Australia (47%) since adopting the approach in the 1990s.

CAA’s advocacy is backed by strong Member support. In our July 2024 Member survey, 60% of respondents supported the implementation of a provincial road safety strategy. Earlier surveys revealed that while only 19% of Members were aware of the Safe System Approach, nearly half believed it could be successfully implemented in Ontario. These numbers reflect a growing appetite for change.

"Transport Canada reports that the social cost of traffic collisions in Canada is alarmingly high—reaching an estimated $36 billion each year. Ontario alone accounts for nearly $15 billion of that total, underscoring the province’s significant share of the national burden." That’s $1,334 per licensed driver. These costs aren’t just financial; they represent lives lost, families impacted, and communities disrupted.

CAA is urging the province to lead the development and implementation of a strategy that includes:

• Clear road safety targets, including long-term goals to eliminate fatalities and short-term benchmarks for measurable progress.
• A commitment to equity, inclusion, and multimodal transportation.
• A focus on vulnerable road users, distracted and impaired driving, speeding, and infrastructure improvements.
• Enhanced public education, data sharing, and stakeholder coordination.

Our government and community relations team has met with the provincial government to highlight the importance of establishing a comprehensive provincial road safety strategy. While our message has been positively received, we recognize that meaningful progress will require continued collaboration with other like-minded stakeholders across the province.