More than half of Ontarians admit to dangerous driving: CAA poll

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A new poll conducted by not-for-profit automotive safety advocate, CAA, indicates that a majority of Canadian drivers admit to dangerous driving on the regular. 

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CAA South Central Ontario put the survey together this March, touching base with 1,504 Ontario drivers to find that 55 per cent of them say they do some sort of “unsafe driving” on the roads, including most commonly speeding, distracted driving, aggressive driving, and dangerously changing lanes. 

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So, more than half of Ontario’s motorists are, by their own admission, not driving super safely. What’s more, the poll also suggests that a total of 95 per cent of drivers say they have witnessed dangerous driving on the roads. 

Perhaps the most concerning finding here, however, is the level of awareness around what constitutes dangerous driving and stunt driving. Apparently just 24 per cent of those surveyed were even aware of all the acts that constitute stunting. 

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“Many motorists think stunt driving is just a combination of excessive speeding and doing reckless tricks, but it also includes aggressive behaviours such as road rage and weaving through traffic,” said Raymond Chan, manager of government relations at CAA SCO. “These reckless actions behind the wheel can have serious consequences and should never occur on our roads, especially in residential areas and community safety zones.”

Ontario recently enacted the Moving Ontarians More Safely (MOMS) Act , which significantly increases penalties for stunt drivers and which 74 per cent of those polled believe is a step int the right direction. And there’s more to come this fall, including longer suspensions and harsher penalties for repeat offenders.