Motor vehicle accident deaths, 1979 to 2004

This article reviews motor vehicle accident (MVA) deaths from 1979 through 2004, with a more in-depth look from 2000 onwards. The data are from the Vital Statistics Death Database. Crude and age-standardized death rates were used to examine mortality over time. Average annual death rates were compared by age, sex and other selected characteristics. The average daily number of deaths was used to show seasonal fluctuations. Deaths resulting from motor vehicle accidents declined from 25 deaths per 100,000 population in 1979 to 9 deaths per 100,000 population in 2004. Despite this decline, motor vehicle accidents remain a leading cause of death for young people. From 2000 through 2004, MVA deaths accounted for 1.3% of all deaths Canada, but 17.3% of all deaths among people younger than 30. Males consistently had higher MVA death rates than did females