Key Messages
Emergency Visits
Hospitalizations
Deaths
Technical Notes
Key Messages
- On-road motor vehicle injury emergency department visits decreased dramatically during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 when compared with pre-pandemic levels.
- Hospital admissions also decreased with the onset of the pandemic; however, this drop was much less pronounced when compared to emergency department visits.
- On-road motor vehicle injury deaths are relatively rare in Simcoe Muskoka, with fewer than 10 deaths per year on average. There has been a significant decrease in the mortality rates for on-road motor vehicle injury deaths among children and young adults in recent years.
Emergency Visits
According to the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS), there were nearly 2,000 emergency visits for occupants of on-road motor vehicles injured in transport accidents in Simcoe Muskoka in 2021.
The age-standardized rate for on-road motor vehicle injury emergency visits in Simcoe Muskoka for all ages and sexes in 2021 was 332.0 (317.3, 347.3) visits per 100,000 population, which was significantly higher than the Ontario rate of 270.4 (267.8, 273.1) visits per 100,000 population.
The on-road motor vehicle injury emergency visit rates dropped in 2020 by over 30% in both Simcoe Muskoka and Ontario overall and remained at this substantially lower level in 2021. This sudden and dramatic drop can be attributed, at least in part, to changes in health care use and access during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also reasonable to assume that pandemic measures that resulted in less vehicular travel also contributed to this decline.
There was a significant downward trend in the on-road motor vehicle injury emergency visit rates in both Simcoe Muskoka and Ontario over the ten-year period from 2003 to 2012; however, the rates increased significantly from 2012 to 2019 in both Simcoe Muskoka and the province as a whole. The Simcoe Muskoka on-road motor vehicle injury emergency visit rates were significantly higher than the provincial rates since 2003.
The age-standardized rate for on-road motor vehicle injury emergency visits in Simcoe Muskoka among males in 2021 was 321.4 (301.2, 342.7) visits per 100,000, which was not significantly different from the Simcoe Muskoka female rate of 342.9 (321.7, 365.3) visits per 100,000. The 2020 on-road motor vehicle injury emergency visit rates for Ontario males and females were significantly higher than the comparable local rates.
The on-road motor vehicle injury emergency visit rates dropped in 2020 by over one-third among Simcoe Muskoka females and by approximately one-quarter among Simcoe Muskoka males and remained at these substantially lower rates in 2021. The reason for this different pattern among males and females is unclear.
There was a significant downward trend in the on-road motor vehicle injury emergency visit rates in Simcoe Muskoka for both males and females over the ten-year period from 2003 to 2012, followed by a small but significant increase in the rates from 2012 to 2019. The female on-road motor vehicle injury emergency visit rates were significantly higher than the male rates from 2003 to 2019.
The age-specific rate for on-road motor vehicle injury emergency visits between 2017 and 2021 (combined) in Simcoe Muskoka was highest among adults 20 to 44 years of age at 655.8 (639.3, 672.6) visits per 100,000. The age-specific Simcoe Muskoka rates were significantly higher than the comparable provincial rates for children and youth (younger than 20 years of age) and younger adults (20 to 44 years of age).
For the time period from 2017 to 2021 (combined) in Simcoe Muskoka, emergency visits for on-road motor vehicle injuries were highest among those living in areas with the highest amount of material deprivation (as measured by the 2016 Ontario Marginalization Index).
Hospitalizations
In 2021, there were nearly 170 hospitalizations for on-road motor vehicle related injuries in Simcoe Muskoka. The age-standardized rate for on-road motor vehicle injury hospitalizations in Simcoe Muskoka in 2021 was 26.4 (22.5, 30.8) admissions per 100,000 population, which was significantly higher than the Ontario rate of 20.4 (19.6, 21.1) admissions per 100,000 population.
The on-road motor vehicle injury hospitalization rates dropped in 2020 by over 10% in Simcoe Muskoka and by nearly 20% for Ontario overall. This was followed by a 5% increase in both Simcoe Muskoka and Ontario in 2021. The drop in on-road motor vehicle hospitalization rates in 2022 were less pronounced than drop in emergency visits, particularly among Simcoe Muskoka residents. It is unclear why the decrease in the on-road motor vehicle injury hospitalization rates were smaller than the decrease in the emergency visit rates. This difference might be attributed to changes in health care use and access during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for injuries perceived to be less serious.
There was a significant downward trend in the on-road motor vehicle injury hospitalization rates in Simcoe Muskoka from 2003 to 2013; however, from 2013 to 2018 this trend reversed with the 2018 rate reverting to what was observed in 2007. The 2019 rate among Simcoe Muskoka residents was significantly lower than the 2018 rate; however, the reason for this change is unclear. The provincial rates decreased significantly from 2003 to 2011; however, the provincial rates did not change significantly from 2011 to 2019. The Simcoe Muskoka on-road motor vehicle injury hospitalization rates were above the provincial rates since 2003.
The age-specific rate for on-road motor vehicle injury hospitalizations between 2017 and 2021 (combined) in Simcoe Muskoka was highest among seniors 75 years of age and older at 53.5 (44.8, 63.5) admissions per 100,000. The age-specific Simcoe Muskoka rates were significantly higher than the comparable provincial rates for the population under 75 years of age for this five-year period. The on-road motor vehicle injury hospitalization rates for males in Simcoe Muskoka were significantly higher than the comparable female rates for adults 20 to 44 years of age.
Deaths
Over the 19-year period between 2000 and 2018, 174 occupants of on-road motor vehicles in Simcoe Muskoka died in transport accidents. Two-thirds of the decedents were males and 40 per cent were adults between 20 and 44 years of age.
Between 2000 and 2018, the age-standardized on-road motor vehicle mortality rate in Simcoe Muskoka (1.85 (1.57, 2.13) deaths per 100,000) was significantly higher than the comparable provincial rate (1.48 (1.43, 1.53) deaths per 100,000). On-road motor vehicle mortality rates in Simcoe Muskoka among children and youth (under 20 years of age) and younger adults (20 to 44 years of age) have declined significantly when comparing the most recent nine-years of data (2010 to 2018) with the previous 10 years (2000 to 2009).
Technical Notes
This HealthSTATS page provides data on injuries to occupants of on-road motor vehicles including cars, vans, pick-up trucks, buses and heavy transport vehicles. This page excludes injures to motorcycle drivers and passengers and off-road vehicle drivers or passengers. It also excludes injuries to pedestrians and cyclists that were involved in a collision with an on-road motor vehicle. Injuries resulting from both traffic and non-traffic on-road motor vehicle collisions are included in this page.
For more local data on injuries and other health topics see the interactive dashboards available on Simcoe Muskoka HealthMAPS.
Mortality data come from the vital statistics database and are derived from death certificates completed by physicians, which are collected by the Office of the Registrar General (ORG) in Ontario. The cause of death reported is the occurrence that starts the sequence of events leading to death.
On-road motor vehicle injury data presented on this page are based on the ICD-10 codes: V40-V79.
Last updated: July 12, 2023