TTC vehicles have been involved in over 18,000 collisions over the past five years, according to data obtained by the Toronto Star. Perhaps even more surprising is that "181 drivers have been in 10 collisions or more" over this same period. Of these total accidents, roughly three quarters were deemed "not preventable" as part of the TTC's internal review process, which involves a manager inspecting the scene of a collision. In the event that an accident is deemed "not preventable," the operator's record remains clean, which is why so many drivers with multiple collisions continue to drive their vehicles.

The TTC does remove and/or fire drivers who are deemed unsafe, but these numbers are cause for at least some concern as to the process by which accidents are classified. 10 collisions in a five year period seems like more than a case of bad luck, even when one takes into consideration the huge number of kilometres a bus or streetcar driver covers in a year of work. While TTC spokesperson Brad Ross notes that the majority of accidents are "very minor," the numbers seem to demand some form of further investigation.

What do you think? How many collisions is too many?

Photo by Jeremy Gilbert