Canada Naturalistic Driving Study (CNDS)

The Council of Deputy Ministers Responsible for Transportation and Highway Safety is conducting a large–scale study of driving behaviour to make Canada's roadways safer for all. With funding support from federal, provincial and territorial transportation agencies from across Canada, the Canada Naturalistic Driving Study (CNDS) will study driver behaviour in normal day to day operations. Similar studies of this kind are being conducted in the United States and abroad. Canada's participation in this area of research will make a significant contribution to road safety, both for Canada and internationally. The data collected will include detailed, unobtrusive data on driving behaviour and the interaction of driver, vehicle, and environment over an extended period of time.

Study data are expected to be useful for an entire generation of transportation safety professionals who seek to learn more about driver behaviour, what causes crashes, and how to prevent them. The data will be used to design safer roads and vehicles, develop more effective driver education, and enact sensible, evidence-based laws and regulations that will result in safer cars and roadways.

The study will include approximately 125 drivers from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and the surrounding areas.

Importance

This research agenda comes at a critical time in the history of Canada's surface transportation safety. Specifically:

• Roughly 55% of fatalities occur on rural roads in Canada.
• More than 2,200 traffic-related fatalities occur every year
• More than 11,200 traffic-related injuries occur every year