Canadians getting the message about texting and driving
Posted Feb 6, 2015 11:29 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The vast majority of Canadians agree that texting while driving is unacceptable, but they are still doing it in significant numbers.
In a poll conducted by the Canadian Automobile Association, 90 per cent of Canadians believe it has become socially unacceptable to text behind the wheel, but nearly a quarter of respondents admit to reading or sending a text message while driving recently.
“I think it’s encouraging that Canadians are starting to say that the practice of being distracted while driving, especially around texting, is becoming socially unacceptable,” Scott Wilson, Senior Policy Analyst with the Alberta Motor Association, said. “But I think we still have a number of things that need to occur before we start to close the gap.”
Wilson says Albertans need to continue to voice their concerns about distracted driving with family and friends to bridge the gap between belief and behaviour.
The CAA survey also asked Canadians to rank their top ten road safety concerns: the poll found texting and driving at the top of that list, followed by drinking and driving.
Drivers running red lights came in at number three.
