Halifax Road Safety Report Reveals Sharp Rise in Fatal Collisions in 2025
A new annual report from the Halifax Regional Municipality shows fatal collisions increased to 20 in 2025, up from 11 the previous year. While total reported crashes decreased slightly, deaths involving motorcyclists and pedestrians rose significantly, prompting criticism from residents and advocacy groups regarding current safety measures.
The Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) has released its annual road safety report, highlighting a concerning increase in traffic fatalities for 2025. The data reveals that fatal collisions rose to 20, a significant jump from the 11 recorded in 2024. Despite this spike in deaths, the total number of reported collisions to Halifax Regional Police and the RCMP decreased slightly, with 5,959 incidents logged throughout the year.
Among the most vulnerable road users, motorcyclists accounted for seven of the 20 fatal collisions in 2025, marking the highest total since data collection began in 2022. Pedestrian fatalities also saw an increase, rising from one death in 2024 to four in 2025. Serious injury collisions, however, decreased from 141 in 2024 to 133 in 2025. In total, there were 153 fatal and serious injury collisions in 2025.
The report also noted a rise in micromobility collisions, which involve bicycles, e-bikes, and scooters. These incidents increased to 111 in 2025 from 89 in 2024. While these collisions resulted in eight serious injuries, there were no fatalities in this category during the reporting period.
Sam Trask, supervisor of road safety and transportation, presented the findings to the city's transportation committee. The release of the report coincided with growing public pressure on HRM to improve infrastructure. Brendan Doherty, owner of the Old Triangle Irish Alehouse, spoke at the meeting after his employee was struck by a work truck near the Macdonald Bridge intersection on the morning of the session.
Advocacy groups have criticized current efforts as insufficient. Martyn Williams of Vision Zero Kjipuktuk-Halifax pointed out that 73 per cent of fatal and serious collisions occurred on 100-series highways, arterial roads, and major collector roads. Additionally, 45 per cent of fatal and serious injury collisions in 2025 involved aggressive, distracted, or impaired driving. Police issued 6,940 tickets in 2025, down from 7,663 in 2024.
Recent events have further intensified calls for change. Nouman Ali, a Dalhousie University professor, died in mid-July 2026 after a driver opened a pickup truck door into his bicycle path. As of July 31, 2026, Halifax had already recorded four fatal collisions and 73 serious injury collisions for the year.
In response to the safety challenges, HRM plans to implement new collision analysis software to better prioritize high-risk areas. The municipality also intends to launch new road safety education campaigns and upgrade the top 10 collision-prone intersections and crosswalks. Community groups continue to advocate for stronger strategies, such as implementing 30 km/h speed limits in downtown areas.