While the debate lingers over the safety of rural driving versus urban driving, 73% of collisions involving injuries happen on Canada’s metropolitan roads, according to Transport Canada.
A new analysis from TomTom reveals where these dangers may be most prevalent, based on traffic congestion rates. According to its 5
th annual Traffic Index, the top 7 cities with the worst traffic gridlock are:
| Rank |
City |
Congestion Level in 2014 |
| 1 |
Vancouver |
35% |
| 2 |
Toronto |
31% |
| 3 |
Ottawa |
28% |
| 4 |
Montreal |
27% |
| 5 |
Edmonton |
23% |
| 6 |
Quebec |
23% |
| 7 |
Calgary |
22% |
The Index also found that traffic is getting worse for most Canadians, with the average commute in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal increasing from 79 hours in 2013 to 84 hours in 2014. Vancouver ranked 20
th for the worst traffic in any city worldwide.
These figures may contribute to higher auto insurance premiums, as research released by KANETIX.ca earlier this year found that Ontario paid the highest auto insurance rates in the country. Brampton, a city with more than 500,000 residents, paid the most at a $2,393 annual average.
"Urban areas tend to have higher insurance rates because there are more cars on the road, higher frequency of accidents and greater severity," Janine White, VP of marketplaces, said in a statement. "Insurers set their premiums based on claims and actuarial data from a given region."
