Distracted driving continues to be a topic of interest and concern. In Ontario, drivers have been banned from using their devices, such as smartphones and tablets, since 2009. Drivers also face fines upwards of $280 if caught talking, texting, browsing or even holding a phone while behind the wheel.
Recently, Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario, said that distracted driving is “a real problem… these machines are so ubiquitous in their lives that they just have them with them all the time, and so we need to break that cycle.”
The “Canadian Driving Habits” report from State Farm agrees with that statement, saying, “We know that distracted driving is a serious problem in Canada.” The insurance company polled 1,300 Canadians and found that 93 per cent feel that other drivers drive while they are distracted, but only 56 per cent believe they themselves drive while distracted. In addition, 33 per cent admitted to checking their mobile device once or more while driving.
The survey also indicated distracted driving is “the most dangerous thing a person can do on the road,” followed by running a red light or stop sign, aggressive driving and speeding.
[source] State Farm (PDF) [/source]
