Travelers Canada: Millennials more likely to voice distracted driving concerns

A new poll from Travelers Canada has found that millennials – compared to other age groups – are more likely to ask drivers to stop using their mobile phones while on the road.

The poll was conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Travelers Canada; some 948 Canadian drivers aged 18 and older participated in the survey. The results were shared in the Every Second Matters symposium at the University of Calgary.

According to the survey, 42% of respondents have asked a driver to stop using their mobile device while they were a passenger in the vehicle. A breakdown of those who asked drivers to stop using their phones revealed that millennials (ages 18-34) were the age group most likely to caution motorists about using their mobile devices while driving, at 59%.

The complete breakdown is as follows:

Of the 42% who said that while they were passengers, they have told drivers to stop using their mobile devices…

• 59% of respondents were millennials, ages 18-34
• 41% were ages 35-44
• 45% were ages 45-54
• 30% were 55 years old or older

“It is particularly compelling – and encouraging – to see that the demographic most comfortable with asking a driver to put down their mobile device is Canadian youth,” said Travelers Canada group general counsel and vice-president of claim Jordan Solway. “Distracted driving is a deadly habit, and we should all be advocates when it comes to speaking up about its dangers and our safety.”

Other salient points of the survey include:

• Forty four per cent (44%) of millennials have called someone they knew was driving; 36% of millennials also said that they texted someone they knew was driving.
• Canadian drivers aged 18 to 54 are more likely than those aged 55 and older to admit to texting, answering a call or sending an email while driving; 63% of millennials admitting to doing so once a week or more.