Angus Reid poll suggests B.C. drivers are among the most dangerous in the country
An Angus Reid Public Opinion poll suggests that B.C. may have some of the worst drivers in the country.
"Albertans and British Columbians are ahead of the national average on most of the negative categories, particularly on cutting into another lane without notice and tailgating," the Vancouver-based pollster reported. "Albertan drivers seem to lead the way in multitasking, running red lights and littering, while British Columbian drivers are apparently more likely than others to turn where they should not and invade the crosswalk."
The survey of 1,001 Canadians indicated that B.C. respondents led the country with these observations:
• a driver talking on a hand-held cellphone while driving (95 percent in B.C. compared to national rate of 90 percent)
• a driver speeding (93 percent in B.C. compared to national rate of 87 percent)
• a driver tailgating (83 percent in B.C. compared to national rate of 77 percent)
• a driver cutting into another lane without notice (83 percent in B.C. compared to national rate of 67 percent)
• a driver turning where a turn is not allowed (56 percent in B.C. compared to national rate of 45 percent)
• a driver invading the crosswalk when people are on it (56 percent in B.C. compared to national rate of 33 percent)
This meant that B.C. recorded the worst results in six of 15 categories. That wasn't as bad as the results in Alberta, which had the worst percentages in eight categories.
In B.C., 19 percent of respondents stated that most or all of the drivers in their municipality were bad drivers, compared with 27 percent in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and 26 percent in Alberta.
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The driving question seldom asked but routinely incorrectly answered.