Survey: 76% of drivers in B.C. think emailing and texting is “just as dangerous as drinking and driving”

Ready for some more survey stats? This time it’s out of B.C. from the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) and Ipsos Reid stating that “B.C. drivers seem to be getting the message that using a cellphone or other hand-held devices while driving is extremely dangerous”. They polled 917 drivers and found that 76% think emailing and texting is “just as dangerous as drinking and driving”. Here are some other stats:

– 87% say texting or emailing on a hand held device is very risky
– 50% consider talking on a hand held cell phone to be as risky as drinking and driving
– 65% say that talking on a hand held cell phone is very risky.
– 91% say reading while driving is very risky
– 78% say driving while sleepy or exhausted is very risky
– 72% say personal grooming while driving is very risky
– 16% say they have talked on a hand held cell phone while driving over the past 12 months
– 9% say they have texted or emailed on a hand held device while driving over the past 12 months
– most common excuses to those who admitted to talking while driving: “I use the speakerphone function”,”it was a very short call and “I pulled over after answering the phone”
– 60% of drivers say they feel “irritated” when they see others disobey the ban

Do you obey the ban?
Source: CNW