Speeding Still a Leading Cause of Road Crashes

You’re late to work. With the clock ticking and pressure mounting, you glance nervously at the time and press a little harder on the gas pedal A few extra kilometres per hour might help make up lost time, right? But in these moments, the margin for error shrinks dramatically, turning what feels like a small risk into a potentially life-altering mistake.

In 2025, National Road Safety Week is held May 13–19. The Canada Safety Council is calling on all Canadians to recognize the deadly consequences of speeding and to make safer choices behind the wheel.

According to the most recent available data from Transport Canada, 1,931 Canadians lost their lives in motor vehicle collisions in 2022 — a six per cent increase from the previous year and the second-highest fatality count in the past decade. Alarmingly, speeding was a contributing factor in 20 per cent of these fatal crashes, underscoring the urgent need to address this preventable behavior.

Excessive speed increases both the likelihood of a collision and the severity of subsequent injuries and damage. Additionally, even with the best possible maneuvering, speeding on an average-length trip will often only results in a savings of a minute or two, at best. It’s accepting a lot of risk for minimal reward.

Slow down. You’re better off arriving to your destination late than not at all.