Most Canadians regularly see distracted driving, few admit to doing it
Posted September 13, 2018 9:08 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – It seems it’s still “other” drivers who are acting badly.
A survey finds eight in 10 Canadians regularly see distracted driving, but only 38 per cent admit to doing it themselves. Another 21 per cent admit to doing it at least once in the past year.
The survey, commissioned by Dejardins Insurance, found the risk of getting into an accident isn’t the top worry for drivers who pick up their phones.
“Most people are more worried about getting caught and having to pay a fine or see their insurance rates go up,” said John Bordignon with the insurer.
“You would think more people, if they were to get into a collision, would want to stop distracted driving. But our survey says more people are concerned about fines and higher insurance rates.”
Two thirds of respondents think more should be done to stop people from driving while distracted.
“[They] don’t believe that the penalties out there are strong enough to curtail distracted driving,” said Bordignon.
The survey also finds while almost all Canadians (97%) know it’s against the law to use a cellphone while driving, only about a fifth (22%) say they would never use their phone behind the wheel.
“It’s akin to what occurred with impaired driving by alcohol years ago. It’s going to take time for it to become socially unacceptable,” said Bordignon, who points out when lives are at stake.
“When you’re dealing with distracted driving, you’re not just dealing with yourself behind the wheel. You’re dealing with the safety of your passengers in the car, you’re dealing with the other drivers you’re sharing the road with, as well as pedestrians and cyclists.”
A third say GPS apps are the main reason they use their phone while driving.
The problem is more prevalent among younger drivers. The survey finds 11 per cent of drivers aged 16 to 24 admit to driving while using their phone on a regular basis, which is twice the national average (5%).
Bordingnon believes distracted driving is now a bigger concern to police than impaired driving.
