Canadians think texting while driving is as bad as drunk driving: CAA

The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) has just released the results of its annual poll on Canadian road safety concerns.

“Canadians think texting and driving is getting worse, despite moves by law enforcement to crack down and extensive public education efforts,” writes the CAA in a press release issued on December 29th.

According to the organization, 83 percent of Canadians believe texting while driving is a more significant problem today than it was just three years ago. For reference, texting and driving first broke into the CAA’s top 10 list of major road safety concerns in 2011.

The same poll found that Canadians think that, in conjunction with drunk driving, texting and driving is the most significant threat to their personal safety while on the road. Moreover, other forms of distracted driving, including individuals using their phones to email and call while driving, are similarly becoming a concern for Canadians.

“Despite anti-texting and driving laws in all provinces across the country and several years of public education campaigns, Canadians still don’t seem to be getting the message,” said Jeff Walker, the CAA’s chief strategy officer, in a prepared statement.

The CAA compiled its data based on a survey of 2,003 Canadians conducted this past November.

What do you think of the organization’s findings? Are distracted drivers your number one concern while driving?

Source: CAA