Toronto road fatalities reach 5-year high, police say
· Toronto Sun
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The fatal collision Monday in Etobicoke, where a 63-year-old man died after he lost control of his Dodge Dart and crashing into a parked dump truck, marks the 23rd death on Toronto streets this year.
That number points to an alarming trend for the rest of 2026.
Deaths on city roadways this year have increased 28% compared to the same period in 2025 and are up 44% jump from two years ago, Toronto Police Traffic Services said in an emailed statement.
The 23 deaths are the highest total in the city over the last five years and the most since 2022, when 20 people lost their lives, according to information compiled from the police traffic fatalities dashboard .
Three road deaths in less than a week
Monday’s death of Etobicoke businessman and car enthusiast Kelly Nichols at Shorncliffe and Bramshott Rds. came a day after a pedestrian was struck by a motorist at Old Park Rd. and Eglinton Ave. W., east of Allen Rd., and died at the scene.
And on May 26, a 37-year-old motorcyclist lost his life after police said he crossed the centre line in the Bayview Ave. and Pottery Rd. area and collided with an oncoming Honda CR-V.
“Although speed and aggressive driving has played a role in a significant number of fatal collisions, distracted or careless driving is also a big contributing factor,” police said.
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Pedestrians and motorcycle riders common victims
The biggest increase in road fatalities has been among pedestrians and motorcycle riders, police noted.
Pedestrians have borne the brunt of deaths on city roads, accounting for 14 of the 23 fatalities so far this year. Last year, half of the 18 deaths were pedestrians, as were half of the 16 deaths in 2024 and half of the 14 deaths in 2023.
In 2022, 13 pedestrians died, along with six vehicle occupants and one motorcyclist.
There have already been six motorcyclist deaths on Toronto streets in 2026 after only five were recorded over the previous four years combined.
There have also been five cyclist deaths over the last five years, with 2024 being the deadliest year after four cyclists lost their lives.
Mayor wants speed cameras back
Mayor Olivia Chow has advocated for speed cameras to return after the Ontario government outlawed them last November, with the province arguing they had become a cash grab for municipalities.
“It would be nice if we get our speed cameras, 150 of them, so we could lower people’s speed, especially in school and community zones and in local neighbourhoods,” Chow said earlier this week at an unrelated press conference.
Last September, Ontario Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria said speed cameras in school zones would be replaced by large new signs advising drivers to slow down. By this September, large signs with flashing lights will be in place.
“Our government is focused on measures that truly protect the safety of all Ontarians and we will continue working with municipalities to ensure Ontario maintains its position as one of the safest jurisdictions in North America,” Sarkaria said at the time .
Speeding up on Parkside since camera ban
Safe Parkside, a residents’ group advocating for a safer Parkside Dr. along High Park’s east boundary, said last month that speeding on the roadway has surged since the automated speed camera ban took effect.
Vehicles travelling 60 km/h or more in the 40 km/h “Community Safety Zone” increased by 235% between January and April , according to data collected from the road’s “Watch Your Speed” sign through the city’s open data portal.
The much-maligned Parkside Dr. speed camera, which vandals cut down numerous times before the provincial ban, issued more than 68,000 tickets and generated more than $7 million in fines for city coffers.