TORONTO – Nearly all Canadians agree that texting and driving is a bad idea, but many are still guilty of using their phone behind the wheel. According to a new poll from the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA), 90 per cent of Canadians believe texting and driving is socially unacceptable.
However, 22 per cent admitted to checking or sending text messages while driving.
“We still need to close that gap between belief and behaviour, but we are on the right track,” said Jeff Walker, CAA vice president of public affairs, in a press release.
“The next step is to make texting and driving as socially unacceptable as drinking and driving.”
The poll also found that Canadians rank texting and driving as their biggest road safety concern – drinking and driving came in second.
Those concerns may very well be warranted. According to collision data obtained by Global News from Toronto Police, between 2000 and 2012 – the most recent complete year available – the number of drivers described as “inattentive” grew by 50 per cent.
READ MORE: Toronto car crashes — More distracted drivers, fewer drunk ones
In that time period, police recorded more than 55,000 drivers involved in collisions as “inattentive.” About a fifth of those collisions caused at least some level of injury; 212 resulted in major injuries, and 12 in deaths.
Over the same period, the number of accidents involving drivers police say had consumed alcohol has fallen steadily – down by 37 per cent between 2001 and 2012.
According to CAA, the three most common reasons drivers site for checking their phones while driving include checking in with family, urgent personal matters and work.
Those polled reported seeing an average of six drivers using their devices behind the wheel in the last month.
– With files from Global News’ Patrick Cain
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