More than half of Canadians saw a driver not stopping at an intersection in the past month.
Vancouver, BC [March 7, 2025] – The proportion of Canadians who appear dismayed at the prowess of local drivers has increased markedly, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample, 56% of Canadians say drivers in their city or town are worse now than five years ago, up 10 points since a similar Research Co. poll conducted in September 2023.
“Just over two thirds of Canadians aged 55 and over (68%) think drivers in their city or town are not as good as before,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “Fewer Canadians aged 35-to-54 (59%) and aged 18-to-34 (41%) feel the same way.”
On a regional basis, Atlantic Canada has the highest proportion of residents who believe drivers are worse now than five years ago (63%). The numbers are lower in Alberta (59%), Ontario (also 59%), British Columbia (57%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (56%) and Quebec (47%).
The survey also tracks the incidence of six specific occurrences on the country’s roads over the past month.
More than three-in-five Canadians (64%, +5) recall a driver not signalling before a turn, a proportion that rises to 75% in Atlantic Canada.
More than half of Canadians (53%, +8) witnessed a driver not stopping before and intersection, including 61% of residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Half of Canadians (50%, =) saw a car taking up two or more spaces at a parking lot. The proportion is decidedly higher in Alberta (63%).
Just over two-in-five Canadians (42%, +7) saw a car “lane tracking”, or turning right or left from an incorrect lane—including 45% of British Columbians.
Fewer Canadians (40%, +6) recall going through a close call, such as having to slam the brakes or steer violently to avoid a collision in the past month.
More than three-in-five Canadians (62%, +3) claim that there are specific groups or people in their city or town who are worse drivers than others—a proportion that rises to 68% in Alberta and to 67% among those aged 18-to-34.
Among the respondents who volunteered an answer in an open-ended follow-up question about worse drivers, one third (33%, =) mention “young”. Fewer of these respondents relied on terms such as “immigrant” (22%, +10), “elderly” (16%, -5), “Asian” (14%, -2) and “distracted” (4%, +2).
Methodology: Results are based on an online survey conducted from February 16 to February 18, 2025, among 1,002 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to census figures for age, gender and region in Canada. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.1 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
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