Local Community Advertising
A majority of Canadians admit to having driven while distracted by their cell phone, according to a new survey.
The research – by Desjardins – also shows an increase in people willing to admit to distracted driving.
Of the 3,050 respondents to the survey, 53% said they had been distracted by their phones at least once – up from 38% last year.
That’s despite an increase in the percentage of people who are aware of how dangerous distracted driving is (with 32% now saying it’s the riskiest driving behaviour, just behind drunk-driving at 35%).
Curiously, however, most drivers think the problem is with everyone but themselves.
Of those surveyed, 93% say they rarely – or never – drive distracted by their phone, but 84% say they often or always see other phone-distracted drivers.
When those who admit to using their phone while driving were asked what activity is distracting them, 42% said using GPS and 37% said texting or calling.
The main cause of distraction for drivers, however, was not phone use – rather, it was the external environment (affecting 51% of distracted drivers).
Focusing on passengers or children in the car affected 35% of distracted drivers, while 41% were distracted by changing their vehicle’s console.
"It's clear that distracted driving remains a serious road safety risk," said Denis Dubois, president and CEO of Desjardins General Insurance Group.
"It's important to continue to bring awareness to this serious issue as we need to make distracted driving as socially unacceptable as drinking and driving. Stricter penalties and technology help but distracted driving is preventable and changing our behaviors will save lives."
According to Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) research, one in every four fatal crashes in Canada involves distraction.
"It's not just the drivers who are at risk – distracted driving has deadly impacts on passengers, pedestrians, cyclists and other road users," said Robyn Robertson, president and CEO of TIRF.
"We need a commitment from all Canadians to be attentive on the road and to speak up with friends, family and co-workers to reinforce safe driving habits."
Local Community Advertising