2001 AGGRESSIVE DRIVING STUDY

Summary of Results

Road Rage is Heating up Canadian Roads

• 77% of Canadians believe the incidence of aggressive driving is increasing, that's a 4% jump from those who believed the incidence of aggressive driving was increasing in 2000 (73%)
• More younger Canadians report committing at least one act of aggressive driving in the past year than older Canadians, surpassing the national average (96% vs. 85%)
• Most likely to believe aggressive driving is on the rise: Ontario (80%)
• Least likely to believe aggressive driving is on the rise: British Columbia (75%)

Our Jekyll-and-Hyde Attitude toward Aggressive Driving

• Although Canadians believe aggressive driving is a safety concern and recognize what constitutes this behaviour, 85% of those surveyed admit committing at least one act of aggressive driving in the past year
• More than half of Canadians admit to running yellow lights turning red or speeding – most common acts
• Atlantic Canada has experienced the sharpest increase in reported aggressive driving acts – in past years it was the least aggressive and now for the first time has surpassed the national average (79% 2000 vs. 88% in 2001)
  
• Most aggressive drivers are in: British Columbia (89%) – Atlantic Canada is #2
• Least aggressive drivers are in: Alberta (82%) – was the most aggressive last year

Laying Blame

• 72% of respondents feel that stress, including frustration, is the primary cause of aggressive driving – up 5 per cent since 1999
• 18% of those surveyed believe aggressive driving is the primary cause of most driving-related accidents
• Most likely to blame stress: Quebec (80%)
• Least likely to blame stress: British Columbia (62%)

Multi-Tasking On The Road

• 76% of drivers become frustrated when they see other drivers multi-tasking on the road
• 91% of drivers have seen other drivers multi-tasking on the road – mostly using cell phones (82%)
• But what frustrates drivers the most is when other drivers: read (57%) or use high tech devices like laptops and hand-held devices (57%), followed by cell phone usage (53%) and putting on make-up, shaving or combing hair (53%)
• Most frustrated by multi-tasking: Alberta (85%)
• Least frustrated by multi-tasking: Ontario and Quebec (both 73%)

* Methodology
The survey was conducted by Thompson Lightstone & Co. by telephone among a proportionately representative, random sample of 1,002 Canadian residents, 18 years of age and older between April 12 and 22, 2001. The sample is accurate to within +/- 3.1 percentage points.