Car accident injuries are a common cause of injury in Canada. In 2013, 165,305 injuries occurred in Canada due to car accidents. 10,315 people incurred serious injuries resulting from an accident, lower than previous years yet still substantial. Unfortunately, car accidents are a common cause of injury in the world due to the popularity of driving. In Canada, people drive cars often due to the large territories of land that encompass Canadian cities.
Ontario sustained 622 injuries per 100,000 drivers in 2013, lower than previous years due in part to tightening traffic laws in regards to distracted driving. Recently, it has been discovered that distracted driving is one of the leading causes of car accident injuries. People that are driving in a distracted fashion are three times more likely to crash than drivers that are paying attention to the roads.
Distracted Driving Stats
The leading factors in distracted driving accidents are outside events or people, including other vehicles or pedestrians. 30% of distracted driving accidents are caused by outside influences. The second most common cause of distracted driving is adjusting the radio or music inside the vehicle. 11.4% of distracted driving accidents are caused by this disruption to attentive driving. The third cause of car accident injuries involving distracted driving involve other occupants in the vehicle. Distraction from passengers encompasses 11% of distracted driving accidents, closely following adjusting the radio or music.
Texting and Driving
A person driving while texting is 23 times more likely to crash their car than someone who is being attentive. With the increased popularity of cell phones in recent years, texting while driving as developed into a relevant issue. In the last 5 years, every province has developed distracted driving laws to combat this cause of car accident injuries. The only province that had distracted driving laws prior to 2010 is Newfoundland and Labrador, which pushed this law in 2003.
Prince Edward Island has the highest fines for distracted driving, fines starting at $500 and ranging to $1200. In P.E.I, the wrongdoer will receive 5 demerits for distracted driving. P.E.I elevated distracted driving laws in July 2015 in an attempt to decrease the number of car accidents, one of the highest in Canada. Ontario also has implemented strict laws for distracted driving, which could speak to the lower incidence rate of car accident injuries in the province. The fines range from $300-$1000 and the offender loses three demerits. The only province that does not take away demerits is Alberta.
How to Avoid Distracted Driving
Certain tips to avoid car accident injuries include taking important steps to avoid distracted driving. This includes preparing for trips in advance and analyzing directions and maps so that it is not necessary to look at anything else while driving. Being attentive and focusing on the road instead of watching distractions outside of the vehicle is essential to good driving. Practicing defensive driving also helps to prepare the driver for unforeseen distractions from other vehicles and pedestrians, causing the driver to respond responsibly to possible circumstances. It is important to make sure that children are adequately distracted in the vehicle as well so that they do not distract the driver.
Sources
http://www.ghsa.org/html/issues/distraction/tips.html
http://www.gov.pe.ca/tir/index.php3?number=news&newsnumber=10284&dept=&lang=E
https://www.tc.gc.ca/media/documents/roadsafety/cmvtcs2013_eng.pdf
http://distracteddriving.caa.ca/education/tips-to-avoid-distracted-driving.php