Majority of Manitoba drivers worry about distracted driving, survey suggests
Manitoba's current legislation doesn't deal with broad range of distracted driving, CAA says
Distracted driving is a top concern for Manitobans, a new survey done for the Canadian Automobile Association suggests.
The CAA, a national non-profit that advocates for issues such as road safety and infrastructure while offering services like roadside assistance, hired DIG Insights to do an online survey of 506 adult drivers in Manitoba about their thoughts on distracted driving from Feb. 11-21.
Nearly 90 per cent of the drivers surveyed said they felt somewhat or very concerned about distracted driving in the province, CAA said. About 60 per cent of those surveyed said they've seen a close call or a traffic violation caused by distracted driving.
Almost half of respondents — 46 per cent — admitted to being distracted drivers themselves, CAA said.
"Most concerning, 13 per cent of drivers reported being directly involved in a collision due to distracted driving," CAA said.
While the survey results suggest Manitobans are concerned about distracted driving, it also indicates that "we kind of engage in it a little bit more than is comfortable," said Ewald Friesen, CAA Manitoba's manager of government and community relations.
The survey comes alongside an increase in licence suspensions for distracted driving in the province. More Manitoba licences were suspended for distracted driving in 2024 than in any of the four previous years, MPI said in April.
Winnipeg police have issued nearly 1,700 tickets related to distracted driving so far this year, Const. Pat Saydak told CBC News on Wednesday.
Winnipeg police have said they can only issue a ticket for using a cellphone or an electronic hand-held device while driving. People can also be charged for driving carelessly, which is a broader term that encompasses any negligent driving behaviour that endangers others.
Friesen said the issue with Manitoba's current legislation is that it doesn't reflect the broad range of distracted driving.
"Distracted driving could be anything that takes your eyes off the road," he said. "So this could include things like an unsecured pet or applying makeup in the car, eating or drinking, maybe playing with your infotainment centre or setting up that podcast."
Provinces like Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia and Quebec have comprehensive distracted driving laws, he said, and legislation like that can help further clarify what counts as distracted driving.
'So many distractions'
Jody Poborsa said as a driver, it's impossible for some people to be completely focused on the road at all times.
"I don't think that anyone can honestly say that they are 100 per cent focused on driving at every single moment," she told CBC News at The Forks.
"There's so many distractions, like cellphones, radios and kids and stuff like that."
Andrew Wedge said while distracted driving is a "huge problem," he's also guilty of looking at his cellphone on the road and has had to pull over to check his device.
"My biggest concern is people who have their AirPods in their ears when they're driving. I'm not sure if they can hear sirens," he said.
Another 500 adult drivers in Manitoba were surveyed about speeding in March, with 82 per cent saying they believe speeding is a problem in the province, CAA said. About 65 per cent said they'd support the use of photo radar cameras to address that problem.
The survey also suggests Manitoba drivers support higher fines and harsher penalties or suspensions, especially for repeat offenders, CAA said.
Over 60 per cent of drivers surveyed said they believe increasing penalties for repeat offenders is the most effective way to prevent drivers from speeding, particularly in school zones or near community centres, CAA said.
Online surveys do not have margins of error, but a random representative survey of 500 Manitobans has a margin of error of plus or minus three per cent, 95 per cent of the time, DIG Insights said.
Friesen said Winnipeg is currently the only municipality in Manitoba that has the right to use photo enforcement. The City of Brandon and the Association of Manitoba Municipalities have both advocated for use of the technology.
"It's important to note that photo radar should not be used as a profit-generating tool necessarily for municipalities," he said. "We think that it is best used for its intended purpose, which of course is to slow traffic down."
With files from Zubina Ahmed