EDMONTON – Albertans and British Columbians are ahead of the national average when it comes to most bad driving habits, including cutting into lanes without notice and tailgating, according to an Angus Reid Public Opinion poll.
The online survey polled 1,001 Canadian adults, and the results were released last summer.
The poll found that, while 89 per cent of Canadians are in favour of a federal law against hand-held cell phones while driving, 90 per cent of respondents reported seeing a driver talking on a hand-held phone while driving.
“There are a lot of people still on their phones all the time,” said Brian Granstrand, who moved from Edmonton to the Cayman Islands four years ago, but recently returned with his wife while on vacation. “It drives you crazy because you know that is the reason that they are distracted, and they have that sort of reckless disregard.”
On Thursday, the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) conducted an undercover operation to catch distracted drivers in the capital city.
A police officer, dressed in rough-looking plain clothes, stood on a street corner in south Edmonton holding a cardboard sign that read: “I am a police officer. If you are on your cell phone right now, you are about to get a ticket.”
The EPS confirmed the sting was part of its distracted driving initiative. In about two-and-a-half hours, police handed out 22 tickets at the one location.
In November of 2010, Alberta passed its own distracted driving legislation.
The Angus Reid poll shows support for a national ban has increased since 2010.
When it comes to other bad driving habits, the numbers don’t get much better.
Out of those surveyed, 87 per cent had witnessed a driver speeding, and 82 per cent had seen a driver turn without signaling in the span of one month.
Seventy-seven per cent reported seeing tailgating, 67 per cent saw a driver cut into another lane without notice, and 65 per cent reported a driver multitasking while behind the wheel.
According to the poll, Alberta drivers lead the way in multitasking, running red lights, and littering.
“I kind of heard that a while ago, so unfortunately it is kind of the reality we live with,” said another Edmonton driver when asked about the poll. “I feel scared for people crossing the road or biking. Especially when you see those people running through yellow lights right at the end and pretty much blowing through a red.”
The majority of Albertans (59 per cent) have honked at a bad driver, compared to 55 per cent of Ontario drivers who do so.
Albertans are more likely than drivers in any other province to curse at a bad driver (38 per cent), wave their fist, arms or hands (27 per cent), and call the police to report the driver (18 per cent). Only 18 per cent of drivers in Quebec reported cursing at a driver.
The full results of the Angus Reid poll are posted below.
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