N.S. saw 71 per cent rise in fatal collisions from 2023 to 2024: RCMP

A tractor-trailer that rolled off of the road during a collision on Highway 101 in Wolfville, N.S., on Oct. 12, 2024. (Courtesy: Bill Roberts)

The Nova Scotia RCMP saw a sharp spike in fatal road crashes in 2024 compared to the last four years.

Police say they responded to 77 fatal vehicle collisions in 2024. They saw 45 fatal crashes in 2023, meaning there was a 71 per cent increase year-to-year.

“A significant number of the fatal collisions I’ve attended wouldn’t have been fatal if the occupants of the vehicles had been wearing their seatbelts,” said Sgt. White in an RCMP news release. “The physics involved in a motor vehicle collision are extreme; when people don’t have a seatbelt on, they’re often ejected from their vehicles and don’t survive.”

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Police responded to the following number of fatal crashes:

• 2020 – 52 crashes
• 2021 – 59 crashes
• 2022 – 51 crashes

The Kings region saw the most fatal collisions in 2024 with 10.

RCMP also responded to 180 serious injury crashes in 2024, which was up slightly from 177 in 2023, but down from 194 in 2022. Those numbers are all up from 147 and 148 in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

Along with failing to use a seatbelt, police say other causes for fatal and serious injury collisions include speeding, distracted driving and impaired driving.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page.