Ottawa, Ontario — January 1 2018 — According to a poll by the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA), most Canadians think texting and driving is getting worse, not better. Canadians are clearly aware that texting and driving do not mix, with 96 percent of respondents stating that drivers who text and drive “are a threat to their personal safety on the road.” Yet, the results of the poll showed four out of five Canadians, at 83 percent, believe driving and texting is more of a problem today than it was only three years ago.
“Despite anti-texting and driving laws in all provinces across the country and several years of public education campaigns, Canadians still don’t seem to be getting the message,” says Jeff Walker, Chief Strategy Officer, CAA National. “Studies show drivers are as much as 23 times more likely to get into a collision when they text and drive.”
Texting while driving first rose to one of the top 10 concerns in 2011. According to CAA, it is now tied with drunk driving as the #1 road safety concern among Canadians.
Walker warns: “It’s important we all put our devices down and stay focused on the road.”
These findings are based on a CAA poll of 2,003 Canadians conducted in November, which yields a margin of error of +/-2.19%, 19 times out of 20. For further information on this poll, please contact: Kristine D’Arbelles, Senior Manager, Public Affairs, CAA National, at kdarbelles@national.caa.ca or visit www.caa.ca.
