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MADD Canada Releases May 31, 2007 MADD calls on Ontario Gov’t not to ignore dangerous problem Unlicensed drivers represent a significant portion of all fatal and injury crashes occurring in Ontario, according to an independent research study just made public by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD Canada). Based on the alarming findings, MADD Canada is calling for action on the recommendations presented in Fatal and Injury Crashes among Unlicensed Drivers in Ontario: 1996 – 2003. The group wants the Ontario Government to strengthen police authority and resources to apprehend suspended drivers, ensure police and the courts make better use of driver licensing data, and introduce new vehicle impoundment and forfeiture programs. In its study, Synectics Transportation Consultants Inc. (Synectics) reports that in Ontario:
Furthermore, Ontario data indicates that approximately 2,500 – 3,000 fatal and injury crashes occur each year in which the driver flees the scene of the crash and successfully evades the police. Synectics notes that these occurrences were not included in its study. Therefore, Synectics estimates that the actual number of unlicensed drivers involved in fatal and injury crashes is approximately 18 percent higher than shown in their report. MADD Canada highlights the study’s findings relating to convicted impaired drivers. It reveals that unlicensed drivers convicted of an alcohol-related Criminal Code offense represent the highest risk group. This group is almost three-and-a-half times more likely to be involved in fatal rather than an injury crash and more than 16 times likely to be cited as had been drinking/impaired by alcohol or drugs at the time of the crash compared to provincial trends. [To view the full text of Synectics’ report, click here.] “This study confirms that those convicted impaired drivers, who continue to drive without their licences, are the worst drivers on our roads,” says Andrew Murie, MADD Canada’s CEO. “We know that unlicensed drivers are over involved in hit and run crashes compared to licenced drivers. So, the Government should target this group to reduce the number of motorists involved in crashes and killed and injured on Ontario roads. We’re all at risk and it would seem to make sense that we would take action against this known group of problem drivers.” For two years MADD Canada has been urging the Provincial Government through the Ministry of Transportation to address the problem of unlicensed drivers. In May 2004, MADD Canada first raised the fact that all Ontario motorists are at an increased risk of becoming involved with bad drivers on the roads. The earlier Synetics study showed that the number of drivers failing to relicense after a Criminal Code conviction in Ontario increased 2.4 times in a 5-year span from 1998. Another Synetics study found that Ontario’s re-licencing initiative compared very poorly to that of Saskatchewan’s -- having 55% of first time offenders not bothering to properly re-complete the Province’s re-licencing program. Of the earlier findings, Mr. Murie comments, "We have offenders who don't bother respecting their driving suspensions, don't bother to complete the remedial programs, and decide to drop out of the system and not reactivate their licence. So, on our roads, we have unlicenced and uninsured drivers, many who are repeat offenders - the worst types of drivers." "You don't want to be a crash victim with a person who has a suspended licence, or no licence at all, and no insurance," he adds. MADD Canada views the recommendations presented in the most recent report conclusions as both workable and necessary. Mr. Murie comments, “There are steps that can be taken to reduce the likelihood of being killed or seriously injured in a crash on Ontario’s roads. This study has provided some important suggestions and we want to see action with respect to the way police, the provincial Motor Registrar and our courts deal with unlicensed drivers.” Synectics makes the following six recommendations to the Ontario Government:
Synectics sums up its research in the report’s concluding paragraph. “In Ontario, unlicensed drivers represent a significant portion of all fatal and injury crashes occurring in the province. Approximately 2,000 fatal and injury crashes occur each year involving unlicensed drivers. This only represents those unlicensed drivers who were apprehended by police. One in fourteen fatal crashes in the province involves an unlicensed driver. Fatal and injury crashes involving an unlicensed driver are more likely to have a fatal outcome than province-wide data. Unlicensed drivers are more likely to be at fault in the crash and they are more likely to have been drinking when they are compared to provincial data. Unlicensed drivers having a court ordered prohibition for a Criminal Code conviction that is alcohol related represent the highest risk group; in terms of the likelihood of being at fault in the fatal and injury crashes and the likelihood of being cited as had been drinking/impaired by alcohol or drugs at the time of the crash.” MADD Canada and Transport Canada retained Synectics to conduct this study into fatal and injury crashes among unlicensed drivers in the province of Ontario during the years 1996 through 2003. The study was completed with the cooperation of Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation, which provided the data used for the analysis. The prime objectives of the study were to determine the fatal and injury crash involvement of unlicensed drivers across age and gender groups; whether or not these unlicensed drivers were more likely to be at-fault in the crash based on driver action; and whether or not the unlicensed drivers were more likely to have consumed alcohol or be impaired at the time of the crash. The Synectics report, Fatal and Injury Crashes among Unlicensed Drivers in Ontario: 1996 – 2003, can be found on-line at www.madd.ca. This is the final report of a number of studies these consultants completed for both the provinces of Ontario and Saskatchewan. The public can access an earlier suspended drivers licence study for Ontario -- Trends in First time One-Year Licence Suspensions: Ontario (1991 – 2001) -- at Related MADD Canada media on the earlier Synectics work can be read at: For more information:
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