Hamilton sees five-year low in crash-related deaths and serious injuries

Hamilton’s road deaths and serious injuries have dropped by 34 per cent over a six-year period, according to new city data.

The 2023-2024 annual collision report was released Monday by City Hall and Hamilton police as part of the city’s road safety strategy and Vision Zero action plan.

The report included data dating back to 2019, when the city’s action plans were first implemented.

While the 34 per cent decrease in fatalities and serious injuries is significant, officials noted the data includes pandemic years when there was less traffic on the roads.

The release follows a devastating Good Friday crash off the Hamilton escarpment. Hamilton investigators found that foggy conditions and a lack of signage were factors in that collision, leading to suggestions for safety improvements in the area.

“What we hear is on the Mountain Brow, we sometimes have some fog and having a flashing light may assist with those issues,” said Hamilton police Insp. Jim Callender.

The crash occurred near Mountain Brow Boulevard and Fennell Avenue. Three teenagers were able to walk away with only minor injuries.

While serious injuries are down, total collisions are trending upward. There were more than 9,700 crashes in 2024, the highest number seen over the six-year span.

Callender noted that the return to a busier transportation system following the pandemic has contributed to the rise in total collisions. However, he credited city systems for reducing the severity of those accidents.

Police say speed, impaired driving and distracted driving remain the most common causes of reported collisions. The report also found that roughly 54 per cent of collisions occur at city intersections.

Areas such as Upper James Street and Mohawk Road, Upper James Street and Fennell Avenue, and Barton Street East and Centennial Parkway appeared multiple times in the data.

During a public works meeting at city hall Monday, Mike Field, the city’s director of transportation operations, said that while enforcement is key, re-engineering roads has helped improve areas that were once dangerous.

Field noted that King and Dundurn streets had been among the top two most dangerous areas in the city for decades, but are no longer in the top 10.

“Road design far outweighs… education and enforcement,” Ward 2 Coun. Cameron Kroetsch said.

In the meantime, Hamilton police say they will conduct their monthly initiatives that target certain behaviours on the road. In May, they will also hold a traffic safety awareness week.

READ MORE: Hamilton police charge 16-year-old driver following escarpment crash