Traffic collisions are a significant source of largely preventable injuries and deaths across the country. In 2019, over 1,700 people died as a result of traffic collisions across Canada, with another 140,000 people suffering from an injury. These deaths and injuries, along with the impact of collisions in which no one is injured, result in a considerable cost to society. In order to quantify the social costs of collisions, an Excel-based model has been developed which combines detailed collision data for Ontario and Canada with the costs of the consequences of collisions to calculate the total social cost of collisions across Canada, and each of its provinces and territories.
The original Social Cost of Collisions model1 was first developed in 2007. While many of the calculations in the model used data that was current at the time, the model was not structured in a manner to allow easy on-going maintenance. In addition, modern versions of Microsoft Excel have features that can improve the readability and maintainability of the spreadsheet model. Therefore, the objective of the current model iteration is threefold:
- Update key data inputs in the model to use current data,
- Restructure the model to provide an easy method to keep data up-to-date, and,
- Ensure the model is clear and readable.
This document describes the details of the model calculations, the data sources used, and provides some basic instructions on how to use the model.
