Hot off the heels of ICBC announcing a new ‘high-risk driver’ premium, a recent survey has just been released with public opinions on local driving conditions.
Victoria has a reputation for having bad drivers, but it looks like Islanders aren’t the only ones concerned with traffic conditions in the country.
According to the poll conducted by Research Co, 50% of Canadians believe that drivers are worse now than they were five years ago.
The poll, which was conducted in August 2017, collected the answers of 1001 Canadians from across the country, and asked how drivers were in their specific area compared to five years ago. They also asked about specific driving infractions.
When Research Co. asked how drivers were in their city, 50% of respondents said it was worse, 40% said they were the same, 6% said they were unsure, and 4% said they were better.
While Canadians across the country found this to be true, certain areas reported a higher rate of bad drivers than others. 64% of British Columbians thought drivers were worse, followed by 59% from Atlantic Canada, 53% from Alberta, and 51% from Ontario.
In a tale as old as time, two major age groups held the other responsible for the increase in bad driving behaviour. 60% of baby boomers blame millennials, while an equal 60% of millennials blame baby boomers.
“Those who volunteered a follow-up response were more likely to blame each other, with Canadians aged 18-to-34 pointing the finger at old drivers, and those aged 55 and over saying young drivers are responsible,” said Mario Canseco, President of Research Co.
The poll also asked what driving behaviours respondents had seen over the past month. The most common driving infraction seen was turning without signalling, with 71% of Canadians saying they had seen it that month, and 83% of British Columbians saying they had seen it in the past 30 days.
Meanwhile, nearly half of all Canadians (48%) reported cars not stopping at intersections, and a close 42% said they had “close calls”, like slamming on breaks or having to swerve around cars.
Research Co. is a Canadian research and polling company that focuses on honest results and information.
