New study reveals pedestrians narrowly miss being struck at intersections every day in Canada

Andrew Brennan breaks down a new CAA study highlighting the dangers facing pedestrians and cyclists at intersections in Canada.

A new study commissioned by the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) uncovered more than 600,000 near-miss incidents involving pedestrians and cyclists at intersections across Canada. The seven-month study, conducted with Miovision, collected data at 20 intersections using 360-degree cameras and artificial intelligence to track near misses that aren’t typically recorded by police.

“These aren’t just close calls, they are collisions waiting to happen,” said Teresa Di Felice, assistant vice president of government and community relations at CAA South Central Ontario.

The study found one in every 770 pedestrians and one in every 500 cyclists experienced a high-risk near-miss. Right-turning vehicles posed the greatest risk, involved in over half of pedestrian and cyclist close calls. Left-turning vehicles were involved in roughly one-third of near-miss incidents.

“The findings are clear, near-misses are not isolated events, they are daily warnings that demand attention,” said Di Felice.

CAA estimates that serious near-misses happen multiple times each day at some locations.

The study also identified intersection designs that help reduce near-misses, including dedicated left-turn lanes, leading pedestrian intervals that give pedestrians a head start, and advanced green lights for turning vehicles.

According to CAA, tracking near misses allows cities to improve safety before collisions happen. The organization is urging municipal and provincial governments to adopt technology-based monitoring and make proactive changes based on this data.