About Northern Road Watch
Northern Ontario's highway incidents, tracked and published.
Northern Road Watch is an Ontario non-profit based in Sudbury. We record every incident Ontario 511 posts on northern highways and keep the history that 511 doesn't. We publish it free: live on this site and in monthly reports. Drivers, reporters, advocates and local governments use it to see where and when crashes happen, and to push for safer roads.
What we do
Track
We record every incident Ontario 511 posts on more than 40 northern highways, around the clock, and keep each one after 511 takes it down.
Add context
Each incident is matched with the weather at the time, cell coverage, nearby wildlife areas and traffic volumes, so patterns are easier to see.
Publish
Live on this site, in monthly reports with collision rates for each section of highway, and as open data anyone can use.
Speak up
We share what the numbers show with communities, media and government, to help make the case for safer roads.
What the numbers can and can't tell you
- They come from Ontario 511 listings, not police collision reports. A crash that never closes a lane may never appear on 511.
- So our counts are a minimum. The real number of collisions is higher.
- When 511 lists the same crash more than once, we link the records and count it once.
- A crash is counted as fatal only after an OPP release or a news report confirms it.
- Locations are approximate. 511 usually places an incident between two landmarks, not at an exact spot.
- Durations are how long 511 listed an incident, which isn't always how long the road was blocked.
In the news
Where the data comes from
Ontario 511
Incidents, closures, road conditions, cameras and plow locations, from the Ministry of Transportation.
Open-Meteo
Weather at the time of each incident, including rain or snow in the four hours before.
Ontario GeoHub
Wildlife habitat data, used to flag incidents near animal movement corridors.
CRTC
Cell coverage maps, used to flag incidents where LTE service is weak or missing.
MTO traffic counts
2021 average daily traffic, used to work out collision rates for each section of highway.
CBC and Village Media
News stories, linked to the incidents they report on.
Support the work
Donations cover hosting, data costs and the time it takes to publish reports and keep the site running.
Local businesses and organizations interested in partnering with us can reach us at info@northernroadwatch.ca.
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