Canadians’ Perceptions of Road Safety

A Big Problem, But Not My Fault

Canadians place a high priority on road safety. However, most have an overinflated perception of the number of fatalities and how it compares with other causes of death.

An August 2006 report by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) examines public knowledge about the extent of the problem of road crashes, concern about it as a health and safety issue, support for action to deal with it, and how this relates to driving practices. The Road Safety Monitor: Public Awareness and Concern About Road Safety is based on TIRF’s national opinion poll, to which the Canada Safety Council contributed financial support.

Road crashes led to 2,730 deaths and 212,347 injuries in 2004 at an estimated cost of $25 billion. Findings from the poll show the public has no idea of these statistics. Those who ventured a guess mostly overestimated the magnitude of the problem, both in absolute and relative terms.

Respondents estimated that on average 6,226 people are killed on our roads each year — more than double the actual number.

While over 60 percent felt the number of traffic fatalities increased over the past five years, in fact they remained about the same.

Over half (56 percent) thought the annual number of road deaths exceeded the number dying from cancer. In fact, cancer deaths are 25 times more prevalent.

Canadians rate road safety as one of today’s more important social issues and seem convinced that more needs to be done. Moreover, the level of concern appears to be reflected in their driving behaviour. The vast majority claim they do not drink and drive, run red lights, or take other unnecessary risks.

Nevertheless, traffic-related deaths and injuries remain unacceptably high. After significant decreases in the 1980s and 1990s, progress seems to have stalled. The survey suggests that one major barrier is the common belief among Canadian drivers that they are not part of the problem. Nearly three quarters of respondents rated their driving skills as good or excellent. Only 1.4 percent rated them as poor or not very good.

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