Pedestrians, cyclists face daily danger at intersections, reveals CAA study

Have you ever had a close call while crossing the street or cycling, barely avoiding a vehicle? You're not alone.  

Near misses and potentially serious incidents between pedestrians, cyclists and cars occur daily at intersections across Canada, according to a new study by CAA.  

Using video analytics and AI to analyze 20 intersections across Canada, CAA and its study partner, Miovison, recorded an average of more than one potentially fatal near-miss per day per intersection. The study helps better understand risk factors at Canadian intersections and discovers design approaches that promote road safety.  

The project produced the largest dataset of pedestrian and cyclist near-misses in Canada, with more than 616,000 incidents recorded. The study found that pedestrians and cyclists face high-risk near-misses every day in Canada — incidents that could have easily resulted in serious injury or even death. 

A sobering reality 

At Canadian intersections, one in every 770 pedestrians and one in every 500 cyclists experience a high-risk or critical near-miss. With the busiest intersections in Canada, which see over 2,000 pedestrians daily, at least three serious incidents occur daily at a single location. In Ottawa, the study focused on the intersection of Merivale Road and Viewmount Drive. 

Serious near-misses most often involve vehicles turning right, accounting for 55 per cent of pedestrians and 50 per cent of cyclist conflicts. Left-turning cars are responsible for over a third of the incidents, affecting 34 per cent of pedestrians and 36 per cent of cyclists. Only 11 per cent of conflicts involve vehicles travelling straight. According to the City of Ottawa, 54 per cent of all fatal or major injuries in the city between 2019 and 2023 occurred at or near an intersection.  

CAA’s proactive approach to road safety 

Near-miss tracking is a groundbreaking approach to road safety, offering real-time insights into dangerous patterns before accidents occur. Unlike traditional collision data, which is only collected after an incident, this method allows proactive intervention.  

Focusing on traffic during the busiest times at intersections, interactions between vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists were monitored. The conflicts recorded that nearly resulted in a collision, labelled as near-misses, give insight into the probability of serious injuries or fatalities because of a collision.  

The study finds that the use of turning lanes, left turn phasing, leading pedestrian intervals, and compact intersection design has a large impact on reducing near-miss conflicts. 

As a part of the study, 14 intersections in urban areas across the country were continuously monitored using embedded sensors. At the same time, an additional six, including Ottawa, were analyzed through short-term video studies. By leveraging video-based AI, near-misses were identified, and risk levels were assessed based on vehicle speed and trajectory.  

Data-powered safety solutions 

These risks were categorized into four levels: low, medium, high, and critical. The "critical" classification signals an alarming 85 per cent likelihood of serious injury if a collision occurs. 

The report highlights key traits of high-risk intersections, urging road authorities to focus on factors like intersection size, right-turn design, one-way streets, and visibility of crossing points to enhance safety. It also identifies design features that reduce near-misses, such as separate left-turn lanes, starting walk signals before vehicle green lights, and providing left-turn vehicles with an advanced green light. 

This new data offers decision-makers a clearer understanding of where road dangers exist before tragedy strikes. By pinpointing near-miss hotspots, planners can prioritize upgrades to prevent collisions. CAA is calling on municipal and provincial leaders to leverage technology-driven safety monitoring to make streets safer, emphasizing the significant benefits revealed by this study. 

Motorists and pedestrians adopt Ottawa’s road and intersection safety strategies to protect themselves and each other from near misses. To learn more about CAA’s road safety advocacy, visit here.