No. H027/03For release - April 8, 2003
OTTAWA — Transport Minister David Collenette today announced the release of a report on the occurrence and cause of light vehicle rollovers in Canada. Light duty vehicles are classified as cars, pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles, minivans and full size vans.
The study demonstrates that alcohol consumption, speeding and slippery roads are the main contributing factors in crashes involving a rollover. The study also shows that most vehicle rollovers occur on roads where the posted speed limit is between 70 and 90 kilometres per hour. There are approximately 25,000 collisions involving light duty vehicle rollovers each year in Canada, resulting in an average of 500 deaths and 15,000 injuries annually.
"The results of this study show the important role motorists can play in increasing safety by respecting posted speed limits and advisory signs, and reducing speed during inclement weather to minimize the risk of a rollover," said Mr. Collenette. "As part of its commitment to safety, Transport Canada also has an important role to play in conducting research to reduce collisions and save lives."
In 2003, Transport Canada will be conducting tests on some makes of vehicles equipped with electronic stability control systems to evaluate their effect on stability and the risk of rollover in various manoeuvres. The findings will allow Transport Canada to assess whether stability control systems should become required equipment on new motor vehicles.
The report is available on Transport Canada's Web site at www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/tp-archive-index-75.htm
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Contact:
Anthony PolciDirector of CommunicationsOffice of the Minister, Ottawa(613) 991-0700
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BACKGROUNDERLIGHT DUTY VEHICLE ROLLOVERS
As a part of its commitment to safety, Transport Canada recently conducted an investigation into the frequency and cause of light vehicle rollovers in Canada. Light duty vehicles are classified as cars, pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles, minivans and full size vans. The main objective of this study was to determine the factors involved in light-duty vehicle rollovers. Information on how often collisions occur and on the number of occupants killed or injured was also compiled for five years, from 1993 to 1997.
The report shows that there are approximately 25,000 collisions involving a light-duty vehicle rollover per year in Canada and that these collisions result in the death of approximately 500 persons and injuries to another 15,000 to 17,000 persons. The data show that light trucks and vans roll over more often than cars in collisions involving only one vehicle, and that light truck rollovers cause more deaths and injuries to their occupants than car rollovers in collisions involving only one vehicle.
Alcohol consumption, speeding, road construction and roads that are slippery, curved or defective are repeatedly reported as contributing factors in fatal crashes.
Under the current reporting system, a large proportion of sport utility vehicles are wrongly classified as cars. However, the report notes that vehicle identification numbers are becoming available in the national collision data. Once these numbers, which identify the car or truck in detail, are available for all provincial and territorial jurisdictions, vehicle classification will be more accurate. Vehicle identification numbers will also allow the detailed study of rollover collisions for specific types of vehicles such as sport utility vehicles.
April 2003
