CALGARY – Over 90% of Canadians say that they’ve seen drivers using their cell phones behind the wheel in the past month, and almost all say the practice should be banned, a new Angus Reid Strategies poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample, 88% of respondents either “strongly” or “moderately” support restricting the use of hand-held cell phones while driving. In addition, 77% of Canadians think this prohibition would make the country’s roads and highways much safer.
The poll also reveals that 68% of Canadians own or use a hand-held cell phone on a regular basis—with the largest number of users in Alberta (84%) and British Columbia (79%). In turn, Quebec (58%) houses the lowest proportion of recurrent cell phone users.
Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Quebec have already enacted laws that prohibit the use of hand-held devices while driving. In October, the Ontario government tabled legislation that would force motorists to use hands-free, voice-activated equipment when making calls on their cell phones. Manitoba announced its own cell phone ban in its Throne Speech in November.
