A study by a Toronto-based insurtech company has ranked Brantford and Kingston as the most dangerous cities to drive in Ontario for 2024.
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MyChoice said it compiled internal data from more than 150,000 car insurance quotes over the past four years, weighing averages of collisions and infractions with a 70/30 ratio to arrive at the findings.
The company said it was prompted to conduct the study to determine the province’s safest – and most dangerous – cities to drive in after the Ontario Provincial Police released statistics indicating there were more collision-related deaths in 2023 than the previous 15 years.
Toronto, East York, North York and Whitby led the way as the safest cities to drive in the province. Brantford and Kingston were tied as the most dangerous, followed closely by Burlington, Brampton, Hamilton and Ajax.
Other data in the study showed that Brantford drivers have the highest percentage of infractions on their driving record at 15.3 per cent, compared to 9.8 in Kitchener, and 6.3 in Toronto.
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The percentage of Brantford drivers with a collision on record was 13.5 per cent, ranked fifth behind Kingston, Burlington, Brampton and Pickering.
“For drivers in high-risk cities, proactive steps such as maintaining a clean driving record can lead to significant savings on car insurance premiums,” said MyChoice CEO Aren Mirzaian in a media release. “Ontario drivers must remain vigilant, especially in cities identified as high risk. By raising awareness of these rankings, MyChoice aims to promote safer driving habits and better insurance outcomes for residents across the province.”
Brantford Police, however, said that studies such as these use data of which it’s questionable to draw a conclusion.
“Traditionally, the traffic industry does not compare collisions with other municipalities as each municipality is unique and does not allow for an appropriate or accurate comparison,” said BPS communications director Robin Matthews-Osmond.
She said both BPS and the City of Brantford are committed to Vision Zero, an elimination of collisions that result in injuries and fatalities.
“The Vision Zero program acknowledges that collisions will occur and that road users make mistakes, however they should not occur to the point of causing a serious injury or fatality,” noted Matthews-Osmond. “Road safety is a shared responsibility; we all play an important part in keeping our community safe.”
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