The Road Safety Monitor is an annual public opinion survey by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) that takes the pulse of the nation on key road safety issues by means of a comprehensive telephone survey of a random, representative sample of Canadian drivers. The results from the second edition of the Road Safety Monitor are being released in a series of reports that cover several key issues. The present report focuses on risky driving – specifically aggressive driving and driver distraction. Canadians continue to be concerned about aggressive driving – 67% believe it to be a serious problem. Running red lights is considered a serious problem by 72% of drivers; speeding is viewed as a serious problem by 60%. Driver distraction in general is considered to be less of a problem than many other road safety issues – only 37% of Canadians believe it to be a serious problem. One particular form of driver distraction – the use of cell phones – is, however, still of considerable concern to Canadians. Almost two-thirds (64%) believe the use of cell phones by drivers is a serious problem. Almost one in four drivers (23.4%) report having used a cell phone while driving in the past seven days. This is an increase from the 20.2% who reported doing so in the 2001 Road Safety Monitor. Although more drivers are using cell phones, they are doing so less – 29% say they spent more than 10 minutes on the phone while driving in the past week. This is down from the 42% who reported doing so in 2001. The use of cell phones by drivers in British Columbia and Atlantic Canada increased in 2002 to a level comparable to that in the rest of Canada. Risky behaviours are not uncommon. Forty-three percent of Canadians report seeing “unsafe passing” often or very often and 12% admit to “taking risks while driving just for fun” at least occasionally. Canadians support greater enforcement to help control risky driving – 62% agree or strongly agree with enhanced enforcement of traffic laws. Over 60% of Canadian drivers support the use of red light cameras; just under half (48%) agree with the use of photo radar. 62% of drivers are in favour of a ban on the use of cell phones by drivers; 68% support a ban on hand-held cell phones. (Author/publisher)
Abstract