Winter is Canada’s peak season for both driving and danger, accounting for about 37% of all crashes.

A Samsara report pointed out that Western Canada accounted for multiple top-risk routes.

The Trans-Canada Highway through major mountain passes in British Columbia and Alberta, particularly areas near Rogers Pass, Yoho National Park, Lake Louise and Banff, showed high crash rates linked to steep grades, heavy snowfall, sudden weather shifts, and a mix of freight, tourist and local traffic.

Segments of the Yellowhead Highway near Jasper, Hinton, McBride and Tête Jaune Cache were also identified, with risks tied to winding forested terrain, limited sightlines, and wildlife crossings that increase sharply in winter months.

Several Ontario corridors were also named as high-risk areas, including Erieau Road, where lake-effect snow, sharp curves, and narrow two-lane sections contribute to frequent winter collisions.

Ontario trouble spots

Highway 17 between Kenora and Dryden and Highway 11 around Hearst and Kapuskasing also ranked high due to long, isolated stretches with minimal lighting, heavy wildlife activity, and consistent black-ice formation in extreme cold.

The Burlington Skyway portion of the QEW was identified as another hot spot, with incidents tied to high winds on the elevated structure, freezing spray from Lake Ontario, and dense truck traffic moving through the Hamilton–Niagara corridor.

Several Highway 401 interchanges in the Greater Toronto Area were also flagged, particularly locations with complex merges, heavy commuter flow, and recurring freeze-thaw cycles.

The study, using collision data collected between 2022 and 2025, shows clear patterns tied to geography, traffic volume, and time of day. Late afternoon and early evening hours were identified as the most dangerous period, when temperatures begin to fall, traffic increases, and visibility declines.

The risk rises again overnight as black ice forms, snow refreezes, and driver fatigue becomes a larger factor. These patterns held across regions, regardless of road type or traffic density.

Localized conditions shape crash patterns

Researchers also noted substantial variation within small geographic areas. The analysis found that a single highway could contain both low-risk and high-risk segments only a few kilometres apart, depending on elevation changes, shading, proximity to large bodies of water, or exposure to wind.

According to the study, these localized conditions often shape crash patterns more than broad regional weather trends.

Weekly crash data for late December and early January shows a sharp and predictable pattern. Crash rates rise from 0.005 crashes per 1 million kilometers in Week 48 to 0.012 by Week 51 — a 140% increase linked to early-winter freeze conditions, holiday freight surges and heavier evening travel.

Week 52 brings a temporary drop to 0.008, driven not by safer conditions but reduced traffic during the Christmas and Boxing Day period. Once operations resume, rates climb again, rising from 0.007 in Week 1 to 0.012 in Week 3, then holding between 0.011 and 0.012 through Weeks 3 to 5 amid ongoing cold and limited daylight.

Christmas week crashes

Two seasonal waves define the pattern. The first, in Weeks 48 to 51, shows the fastest rise as holiday freight and the first freeze converge. The second begins after Christmas, when Week 52’s lull ends and January demand returns.

Christmas week data mirrors the broader trend. From Dec. 22 to 24, crash rates climb 102%, peaking on Dec. 24 as pre-holiday travel, freight activity and evening refreeze overlap. Rates fall 46% on Christmas Day and Dec. 26 as road activity briefly thins, even though underlying winter conditions remain unchanged.