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survey results

Survey Results

In December 2017, RSA Canada conducted a survey of 1,500 Canadians who walk, cycle or drive as their primary mode of transportation. We asked them about their habits and behaviours on the road, how safe they felt, and their expectations of other road users.

Here are some of the results we uncovered:

Illustration of a boy on a bicycle, a girl walking a dog and a woman in her car. All of them are smiling.
  1. Road safety has become an increasingly prominent issue in the GTA and has intensified tensions between road users.
    • 33% of those surveyed feel unsafe when walking.
    • 50% of those surveyed feel unsafe riding a bike on the road.
  2. We all seem to be lacking empathy on this issue, with everyone pointing the finger at one another. Drivers bear the brunt of most of the blame.
    • 67% of pedestrians and cyclists list reckless drivers as their main cause of distress.
    • 74% of drivers perceive distracted driving by other drivers as the biggest issue on the road.
  3. Drivers, pedestrians and cyclists all feel like the other parties need further education around safety.
    • 57% of cyclists and 44% of pedestrians think their municipality needs to invest in driver education.
    • 56% of cyclists and 66% of pedestrians think there needs to be greater repercussions for not following the rules.
    • Almost half (48%) of pedestrians aren’t sure when cyclists have the right of way.
  4. 85% of those on the road agree that road rage is a very serious problem.
    • 25% of drivers say that they act aggressively when dealing with others’ poor driving habits.
    • 39% of cyclists say they’ve expressed anger or aggression in the past month.
  5. Whether you walk, cycle or drive, we all have a role and a responsibility in keeping our roads safe. More empathy, improved infrastructure and greater education for road users are some of the ways we can improve road safety in Canada.
    • Cyclists (77%), drivers (88%) and pedestrians (73%) agree that they collectively play a role to improve road safety.