There’s no such thing as a perfect driver, and a new analysis reveals the most common driving missteps in Canada – and who is most guilty of committing them.
In July, the Financial Services Commission of Ontario reported that auto insurance premiums increased in the second quarter of 2015, despite the Liberal government’s pledge otherwise.
Canadian drivers may have to shoulder some of the blame for this rise in rates if a new survey published by Kanetix.ca is to be believed. A full 75% of motorists admit to bad driving behaviour, and the authors note that their aggressive habits often lead to collisions, tickets and hikes in car insurance premiums.
Speeding was cited as the most common bad behavior, with more than 58% of motorists admitting to driving above posted speed limits. While 58% seems high, that figure is down 2% since 2012.
The study also found that Canadians are likely to engage in the following symptoms of “road rage:”
- 31% utter profanity when confronted with traffic or delays
- 22% follow too closely behind other automobiles
- 19% demonstrate “hostile” hand gestures to other drivers, which is often accompanied by yelling
- 13% cut off other vehicles
- 7% honk “excessively” at other motorists
Drivers in Quebec are either overwhelmingly polite or don’t recognize their own bad behaviors, though, since they reported the fewest incidences of these reckless habits. 25% even labeled themselves as being a “perfect” driver.
Alberta and Ontario, on the other hand, tied for the highest rate of irresponsible driving activity, with 80% of motorists in both provinces admitting to bad driving practices.
Lastly, overall, men nationwide were more likely to confess to bad driving habits than women.
