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Canadian Vehicle Survey 2005, Summary Report
This is an archived version of this report.
Please refer to the latest version of the
Canadian Vehicle Survey 2007, Summary Report.
Introduction
Since the fourth quarter of 1999, Statistics Canada has collected data on transportation activities in Canada through the Canadian Vehicle Survey (CVS). Prior to the CVS,there was no accurate estimate based on traffic data for the number of vehiclekilometres (vehiclekm) and passengerkilometres (passengerkm) travelled in Canada’s road transportation sector. To address this issue, Transport Canada requested that Statistics Canada develop the CVS.
Since 2004, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has co-sponsored the CVS. Additional funding from this Department has enabled Statistics Canada to increase the sample size of the CVS and expand its scope to include a fuel component. Before this component was added to the CVS, fuel consumption in the road transportation sector was estimated based on data in the Report on Energy Supply-Demand in Canada.¹ The advantage of the CVS is that it provides estimates of fuel consumption using data on fuel purchases and on-road vehicle use. Through its support to the CVS, NRCan has access to data not only on fuel consumption, but also on the number of vehicles and distance travelled.
Report on Energy Supply-Demand in Canada
The Report on Energy Supply-Demand in Canada (RESD), produced annually by Statistics Canada, presents an energy balance sheet for the country and provides data on production, trade, interprovincial movements, conversion and energy consumption by sector. It should be noted that fuel consumption estimates appearing in this report are based on CVS data, and therefore differ from the estimates for the transportation sector in the RESD. The definitions are also different (for example, the RESD does not focus solely on road transportation in the transportation sector), and the estimates are produced using two very different methodologies. The information in the RESD is based mainly on annual surveys of energy availability (information on energy sales and distribution reported by suppliers) and various other data sources. The RESD compiles data from more than 13 different sources and provides estimates on energy supply and demand in Canada using detailed supply and distribution models. The CVS collects information directly from a sample of users (drivers) and provides an estimate of fuel consumption based on the data reported.
The purpose of this report on the CVS is to highlight the energy consumption of Canada's on-road vehicle fleet. The report examines the composition of this fleet, the main characteristics of vehicles in Canada, and their use. Certain behavioural characteristics of Canadian drivers are also presented.
The data will also enable NRCan to develop and refine its programs encouraging Canadians to make energy-efficient choices and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These programs target personal, commercial and federal vehicle use, vehicle efficiency, and the promotion of alternative fuels and cleaner conventional fuels. For more information on these programs as well as the tools, financial incentives, free publications and other resources to help you conserve energy and reduce GHG emissions, visit the Web site of NRCan's Office of Energy Efficiency (OEE) at oee.nrcan.gc.ca.
Energy Use Data Handbook
The OEE at NRCan publishes the annual Energy Use Data Handbook (the Handbook), offering information on the composition, use and fuel consumption of Canada's road vehicle fleet. Information in the Handbook may differ from CVS estimates since it complements the CVS by drawing from other databases to evaluate trends in energy consumption in the Canadian economy.
For more information on the Handbook, consult the most recent edition, Energy Use Data Handbook, 1990 and 1998 to 2004, published in August 2006.
For more information on this publication or the OEE's services, please visit the Web site at oee.nrcan.gc.ca. You can also contact the OEE by e-mail or by writing to:
Office of Energy EfficiencyNatural Resources Canada
580 Booth Street, 18th Floor
Ottawa ON K1A 0E4
This report was prepared by Simon Vallières of the Demand Policy and Analysis Division of the OEE.²
Obtaining CVS Data
Statistics Canada prepares the CVS using registration files from the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA).* These data are held by the provincial and territorial governments, and their distribution is regulated under the privacy legislation in effect in each jurisdiction. Provincial and territorial government approval is required for access to CVS data and registration data.
In 2005, NRCan received permission to obtain anonymous information from Statistics Canada regarding the Canadian fleet of light and heavy vehicles. This information is organized by province and territory using the first three characters in the postal code or the forward sortation area code, and by maximum gross vehicle weight, fuel type and model year. This sorting is done for each year for which data are available.
* The CCMTA is a non-profit organization comprising representatives of the provincial, territorial and federal governments of Canada who, through a collective consultative process, make decisions on administration and operational matters dealing with licensing, registration and control of motor vehicle transportation and highway safety. For more information on the CCMTA, please visit the organization's Web site at www.ccmta.ca/english/index.cfm.
¹ For more information on the Report on Energy Supply-Demand in Canada, please visit www.statcan.ca/bsolc/english/bsolc?catno=57-003-XIB.
² Indrani Hulan supervised the project and David McNabb was project leader. Jean-François Bilodeau and Linda Yuen helped NRCan to secure access to CVS data.
