A 24% increase since 2019
A total of 232 people died in 2021 and 242 in 2020, according to the latest Canada-wide data available, while riding a motorcycle. Statistics Canada notes that “this is the highest number of deaths recorded in more than 20 years and a 24% increase from the 195 deaths recorded in 2019”. Such an increase is significant since the number of deaths generally varies little. Result: even if they represent only 2% of road users, motorcyclists today represent “more than 10% of all deaths” on the country’s roads.
Twice as many motorcyclists
However, a nuance is necessary. The rise in fatalities has something to do with the increase in the number of motorcyclists on Canada’s roads. In 2021, there were 816,000 motorcycle license holders, up from some 300,000 at the turn of the 2000s. In analyzing the age of motorcyclists who died, Statistics Canada notes that some age groups are more at risk. It is indeed among the 40-59 year olds that we deplore the most deaths. Next come the 25-39 and 60-79 year olds, whose death rate is slightly higher than the average.
Seven times more men affected
Men are more likely to die in a motorcycle accident: between 2016 and 2020, the death rate among male motorcyclists was more than seven times higher than among women. The male sex represented 8.5 deaths per 1 million people, while among women, it was 1.1 deaths in the same proportion. The difference is even more pronounced if only drivers are taken into account. Excluding passengers, men are 12.5 times more at risk than women. The explanation is very simple: the proportion of men riding motorcycles (84%) is by far higher than women (16%).
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Motorcyclists are predominantly male, in a proportion of 84%.
Intersections and expressways
It is mainly at intersections (31%) and on motorways (30%) that accidents involving motorcyclists occur. In the case of intersections, this figure is twice as high as for motorists (13%). By way of explanation, Statistics Canada points out in particular that “due to their small size, motorcycles are not easy to see for oncoming motorists”, which makes them more “likely” to be involved in a collision. About 23% of motorcyclists also die on public roads and 4% on “special roads”, such as bridges or level crossings. Most of the time, 55% of the time, the fatal collision involves two or more vehicles.
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31% of accidents involving motorcycles occur at intersections.
Risks, alcohol and speed
The use of alcohol and drugs remains a major cause of fatal collisions involving a motorcyclist, namely approximately 31% of them between 2016 and 2020. Speed on the road is a risk factor in a third of accidents identified by coroners’ reports. Other factors, such as lack of driving experience, not wearing a helmet or “difficult road conditions” can also explain the resurgence of these events, according to Statistics Canada. In 12% of collisions, the deceased person was with “at least one other person at the time of the collision”. In 84% of cases, it is the driver who dies, being the first to receive the shock of the impact.
PHOTO THE PRESS
Speed on the road is a risk factor in a third of the accidents recorded.