According to a recent national survey from CAA, there are a lot of speeders out there.
Seventy per cent of Canadians in the self-reporting survey admitted to speeding in a residential area at least once in the past year and half said they regularly speed on the highway.
Twenty per cent said they regularly drive well over the speed limit.
CAA Saskatchewan spokesperson Christine Niemczyk says, “Speeding increases the distance you need to stop, making a collision more likely and more severe.” She quotes the Traffic Injury Research Foundation’s report which says even 10 km/h over the speed limit increases the likelihood of a collision by 60 per cent, and it only saves the average driver about four minutes on a trip.
Niemczyk also notes that all age groups admitted to persistently going over the speed limit, so it’s not just one demographic. Number one on the Saskatchewan list of unsafe driving behaviours is speeding. Fifty-six per cent admit to speeding on the highway. In the second spot, 45 per cent of Saskatchewan drivers said they use electronic devices like cell phones or GPS systems while driving.
With winter conditions now a factor again, Niemczyk reminds everyone to drive to the conditions of the road. She says, “Give yourselves lots of time to get where you need to go because we’re not the only one dealing with changing our driving behaviour to adapt to the current road conditions.”
In Saskatchewan, the reported Top 10 unsafe driving behaviours, based on the survey results are:
1. Driving over the speed limit on a highway: 56%
2. Engaging with the technology in their car while driving: 45%
3. Performing a “rolling stop”: 34%
4. Driving when they were tired or sleepy: 32%
5. Driving over the speed limit on a residential street: 27%
6. Programming a destination on their GPS or mobile device while driving: 26%
7. Driving well over the speed limit: 23%
8. Using their phone while driving: 17%
9. Didn’t shoulder check while driving: 15%
10. Driving aggressively: 14%