Pedestrians and cyclists in Canada are exposed to high-risk near misses daily, with more than 600,000 incidents detected across just 20 intersections in seven months, a groundbreaking national study has revealed.
Commissioned by CAA South Central Ontario and conducted in partnership with technology firm Miovision, the study used 360-degree cameras and AI-powered analytics to monitor intersections in seven provinces: Nova Scotia, Québec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia.
The data captured represents the largest near-miss dataset in Canadian road safety history. CAA South Central Ontario is one of nine Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) Clubs across the country.
Key findings show one in every 770 pedestrians and one in every 500 cyclists experienced a critical near miss, most commonly when vehicles made right or left turns. Over half of the recorded incidents involved vehicles turning right, while over a third involved left-turn conflicts.
“Near misses are not isolated events; they’re daily warnings,” said Teresa Di Felice, CAA’s Assistant Vice President of Government and Community Relations. “This study gives municipalities a chance to proactively redesign intersections before collisions occur.”
With many intersections seeing thousands of pedestrians daily, at least three high-risk events can occur at a specific location every day. Di Felice emphasized these are “collisions waiting to happen” and stressed the importance of pinpointing hotspot areas.
The study also highlighted design upgrades that dramatically reduce risks:
Traditionally, collision data has guided safety improvements. However, CAA South Central Ontario, a not-for-profit auto club representing over 2.6 million members, argues that near-miss tracking offers a proactive path, allowing cities to implement change before injuries occur.
As wild weather and urban traffic grow increasingly unpredictable, CAA is urging Canadian municipal and provincial leaders to invest in technology-driven safety infrastructure.
