Canadian drivers own their poor road habits: survey

A driver uses their smartphone while stopped at a traffic light in Halifax, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese)

Canadian drivers are regularly in a hurry to get to their destination and a majority are willing to take unnecessary risks on the road, according to the results of a new survey.

The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA), in its fall 2024 survey, found that speeding, distracted driving, running red lights and driving while sleep-deprived are frighteningly commonplace across the country according to the admissions of drivers themselves.

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When it comes to exceeding posted speed limits, nearly 70 per cent of Canadians admitted to speeding in residential neighbourhoods at least once in the past year, roughly 50 per cent regularly speed on highways and approximately 20 per cent said they drive "well over the speed limit" on a regular basis.

While the survey didn't include a specific breakdown of the different rationale for speeding, threat of being ticketed doesn't appear to be a deterrent for most drivers as the survey suggests that 65 per cent don't think they'll get caught.

Citing Traffic Injury Research Foundation data, CAA officials say the risk that accompanies speeding is difficult to justify, as drivers who exceed the speed limit by 10 km/h, on average, save only four minutes each trip and are 60 per cent more likely to be involved in a crash.

"Higher speeds reduce drivers' reaction time and increase the risk to themselves and everyone else," said Kristine D'Arbelles, CAA National's senior director of public affairs. "Speeding increases your stopping distance, making a collision more likely and severe, but it saves you only a small amount of time."

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The survey also found that in the last year:

• 40 per cent of drivers admitted to running a red light
• 68 per cent drove when they were too tired
• 54 per cent admitting to using their phone while driving

The online panel survey, conducted by Earnscliffe between Sept. 13 and 21, polled 2,880 Canadians, with quotas for religion, age and gender. CAA officials confirm weighting was used to ensure the sample matched the demographics of the general population. The margin of error for the survey was plus or minus 1.9 per cent.