Fatal crashes increased by 50 per cent in 2024: WRPS

A fatal truck crash on Courtland Avenue East at Balzer Road in Kitchener on Jan. 10, 2024. (Dave Pettitt/CTV Kitchener)

New data from the Waterloo Regional Police Service shows fatal collisions increased by 50 percent in 2024 compared to the year before.

The latest statistics were revealed during a police board meeting on Wednesday.

According to police, there were 15 fatal collisions resulting in 17 deaths in 2024.

About 46 per cent of those crashes happened on rural township roadways and more than half of the 15 crashes were at or related to an intersection.

Almost half of the crashes involved what police call the ‘fatal four offences:’ impaired driving, distracted driving, speeding or aggressive driving and seatbelt use.

“Our primary goals this year are to reduce major injury collisions and fatalities by strategically targeting the key issues causing them, which we found to be the fatal four offenses and intersection related violations,” said Staff Sgt. Scott Griffiths, with the traffic services unit.

Police also plan to continue addressing impaired driving concerns through mandatory alcohol screening and education programs.

818 impaired driving charges were laid in 2024, representing a 13 per cent decrease in 2023. Impairment was found to be a factor in three of the 15 fatal crashes in 2024.

“We’ve set a goal to increase our proactive road safety enforcement numbers by 50 per cent over 2024 statistics with a primary focus on the fatal four offenses,” Griffiths said.

Police said they will do this while working collaboratively with regional partners, the cities, and townships.

“We’re making attempts to address road safety complaints in an intelligence-led approach. And that means directing our officers to places where they need to be at the times that they need to be. And that includes our monthly road safety enforcement teams,” Griffiths said.