The number of crashes occurring in Waterloo Region rose eight per cent in 2013 – although it still didn’t match peak levels reached in the previous decade.

The region’s recently released collision report shows that 6,275 collisions occurred on regional roads, up from 5,795 in 2012.

That works out to about 11.1 crashes per 1,000 residents – a per capita level that hasn’t been seen since 2007.

In 2002, the per capita figure stood at a recent high of 14.8 per cent, as 6,976 crashes occurred in the region.

Figures from 2013 also saw an increase in the number of people hurt in crashes, from 1,898 to 1,965.

Despite the increases, fewer crashes involving pedestrians (109, compared to 154) and cyclists (122, down from 130) were reported in 2013.

For the first time, intersections were ranked by the ‘average annual excess social cost’ – an attempt to take into account the number of collisions that occurred, the number of collisions expected to occur, the severity of the collisions and other factors.

Despite the new formula, many of the intersections ranked worst for crashes were the same to dot the list in past years.

Topping the list was the Kitchener intersection of Ottawa Street and Homer Watson Boulevard, as it has for several years now.

Ottawa and Homer Watson was also tops when it came to number of crashes reported, with 224 seen between 2009 and 2013.

After Ottawa and Homer Watson, the rest of the top 10 included (in order):

  • Franklin Boulevard and Can-Amera Parkway in Cambridge
  • Homer Watson Boulevard and Manitou Drive/Doon Village Road in Kitchener
  • Franklin Boulevard and Elgin Street/Saginaw Parkway in Cambridge
  • Franklin Boulevard and Pinebush Road in Cambridge
  • Ottawa Street and Fischer-Hallman Road in Kitchener
  • King Street and Fountain Street in Cambridge
  • Hespeler Road and Bishop Street in Cambridge
  • Ottawa Street and Westmount Road in Kitchener
  • Franklin Boulevard between Clyde Road/Samuelson Street and Savage Drive in Cambridge

Roundabouts are planned to be installed later this decade along Franklin, as well as at Homer Watson and Ottawa and at King and Fountain.