Stronger distracted driving, seat belt, and speed camera laws helped Canada reduce road fatalities while U.S. deaths surged.
From 2011 to 2021, U.S. road deaths rose 33% while Canada’s fell 18%, despite more Canadians driving farther.
Study calls for U.S. adoption of “Safe System” policies to reverse fatality trends and meet IIHS’s 30x30 target.
A new study comparing road safety in the United States and Canada reveals a striking divergence in fatal crash trends over the past decade—one driven largely by differing policies and enforcement approaches. Researchers from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and Canada’s Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) say the U.S. could substantially reduce road deaths by adopting the kind of evidence-based laws that have proven effective in Canada.
“The U.S. could learn a lot from our northern neighbor,” said IIHS President David Harkey. “Our countries are culturally very similar, so there is reason to believe that many policies that work there could help the U.S. get back on the right track when it comes to road safety.”
Fatalities rising in U.S., falling in Canada
Between 2011 and 2021, the number of traffic fatalities in the U.S. surged 33%, from 32,479 to 43,230. Meanwhile, Canada recorded an 18% drop in road deaths, from 2,166 to 1,776 between 2011 and 2020, the last year for which Canadian data was available. This progress came even as Canada experienced greater increases in population, licensed drivers, and vehicle miles traveled compared to the U.S.
Researchers noted that per capita crash deaths in the U.S. are more than twice the average of 28 other high-income countries surveyed. In contrast, Canada ranks 14th among those nations in road safety performance.
Key differences in policy and enforcement
The study found that Canadian laws governing distracted driving, seat belt use, and speed safety cameras were more comprehensive and broadly enforced than in the U.S. While several U.S. states have enacted similar laws, they apply to a smaller proportion of the population.
Notably, statistical models used in the study demonstrated that these policy differences contributed significantly to the divergent fatality trends. Researchers emphasized that if the U.S. had laws as widely implemented as Canada’s in these three areas, road deaths would have been lower—though still rising—suggesting that additional interventions are necessary.
Specific Crash Trends Tell a Story
The report highlighted several crash categories where the contrast between countries was especially stark:
Pedestrian and cyclist deaths rose 64% in the U.S. but fell 17% in Canada.
Large truck-related fatalities increased 54% in the U.S. and declined 24% in Canada.
Crash deaths among young drivers dropped 52% in Canada but rose 17% in the U.S.
Alcohol- and speed-related fatalities both increased in the U.S. while decreasing in Canada.
The findings point to deeper systemic differences in how the two countries address road safety. For instance, Canada imposes administrative penalties for drivers with blood alcohol levels as low as 0.05% — a threshold that carries no penalties in most U.S. states. Canadian police can also require breath tests at roadside stops without needing reasonable suspicion, and refusal to comply is a criminal offense, measures that do not exist in the U.S.
“Safe System” approach needed?
IIHS has recently launched its 30x30 Initiative, a plan to reduce U.S. road fatalities by 30% by 2030, reversing the more than 30% increase seen in recent years. Achieving this goal will require a multifaceted policy shift, researchers say, inspired in part by the “Safe System” approach adopted by Canada and other nations.
“Many of the countries that managed to improve road safety in recent years have leaned into the Safe System framework, which approaches risks from all angles to create overlapping layers of protection and ensure that no single mistake is fatal,” said IIHS Senior Research Scientist Becca Weast.
Craig Lyon, lead author of the study and director of road safety engineering at TIRF, stressed that laws alone aren’t enough. “Thoughtful implementation combined with stakeholder consultation are critical elements of success,” Lyon said. “Equally important, public education and transparency with respect to implementation are necessary to combat misinformation and establish widespread support.”
