The proportion of Canadians who witnessed a driver turning without signaling fell by 10 points since 2022.
Vancouver, BC [September 22, 2023] – While fewer Canadians recall seeing five improper behaviours on the road, almost half continue to think that drivers in their municipality are not as good as they used to be, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample, 46% of Canadians believe drivers in their city or town are worse now than five years ago, down two points since a similar Research Co. poll conducted in August 2022.
Most residents of Atlantic Canada (52%, -9) think local drivers are not as good as they were in 2018. The proportions are lower in Quebec (47%, +13), Ontario (also 47%, +-9), British Columbia (45%, -12), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (42%, =) and Alberta (41%, -2).
“More than half of Canadians aged 55 and over (56%, -2) are convinced that drivers in their city or town are worse now than five years ago,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “The proportions are lower among their counterparts aged 35-to-54 (43%, -9) and aged 18-to-34 (37%, +3).”
The annual survey also measures the incidence of specific occurrences on the country’s roads. Over the past month, just under three-in-five Canadians (59%, -10) recall seeing a driver not signalling before a turn, including 66% of Albertans.
Half of Canadians (50%, -4) recently witnessed a car taking up two or more spots in a parking lot, while fewer recall drivers not stopping at an intersection (45%, -4), drivers turning right or left from an incorrect lane (35%, -5) or a close call, such as having to slam the brakes or steer violently to avoid a collision (34%, -3).
For practically three-in-five Canadians (59%, +1), there are specific groups or people in their city or town who are worse drivers than others.
For the third consecutive year, the top four responses offered by Canadians on this open-ended question are “young” (33%, -7), “elderly” (21%, +3), “Asian (16%, -3) and “immigrant” (12%, +4).
Methodology: Results are based on an online study conducted from September 2 to September 4, 2023, among 1,000 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region. The margin of error – which measures sample variability – is +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Find our data tables here and download the press release here.
For more information on this poll, please contact:
Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.
778.929.0490 [e] mario.canseco@researchco.ca