Hamilton is ranked as the fifth most dangerous city in Ontario. Photo Credit: iStock.
A new study by Toronto-based insurance technology company MyChoice Financial Inc shows that Hamilton ranks among the most dangerous cities in Ontario for driving.
The ratings, based on MyChoice’s internal data, show Hamilton as the fifth most dangerous city in Ontario.
The data determines that the most dangerous city for driving in the province is Brantford, followed by Kingston, Burlington, and Brampton.
Meanwhile, the study determines that the safest areas in Ontario for driving are Toronto, East York, North York, Whitby, and Scarborough.
MyChoice says that the study “highlights areas where drivers should exercise greater caution and identifies cities that stand out for road safety.”
The data was generated based on the weighted averages of accidents and infractions, such as distracted driving and speeding, within each geographic area.
MyChoice used internal data from over 150,000 car insurance quotes dating back to 2020, including accident and infraction records.
Weighted averages of accidents and infractions were given a 70/30 importance ratio and used to create a scoring system from zero to five with a score of five considered the most safe.
MyChoice says that the method “emphasizes the relative severity of accidents while accounting for traffic violations as a predictive factor for road safety.”
In terms of scores, Hamilton received a 1.3, compared to 0.7 for Brantford, 0.7 for Kingston, 0.8 for Burlington, and 1.1 for Brampton.
Meanwhile Toronto, ranked the safest, received 4.5.
The research also indicated which cities have the highest percentage of drivers with accidents on record.
Kingston ranked the highest with 15.48 per cent of drivers having an accident, while Hamilton ranked ninth highest in Ontario with 12.75 per cent of drivers.
In second, 15.06 per cent of Burlington drivers had an accident on file.
In terms of driving infractions, Brantford ranked the highest with 15.30 per cent of drivers having an infraction, while Hamilton ranked the second highest with 13.73 per cent of drivers.
MyChoice says that insurance premiums are impacted by fault determinations and claims histories, but that for drivers in high-risk cities “proactive steps such as maintaining a clean driving record can lead to significant savings on car insurance premiums.”
They add that Ontario drivers must “remain vigilant, especially in cities identified as high-risk.”
Indeed, according to Ontario Provincial Police, 2023 was the deadliest year in over 15 years for collision-related deaths in Ontario.
Full data for 2024 is expected to be released soon.
As a final tip, MyChoice CEO Aren Mirzaian highly recommends that all drivers get winter tires.
Mirzaian says that winter tires make driving “much safer” in the winter and can provide a five per cent discount on insurance with most providers.
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
