New year’s resolutions for 2024: start by … slowing down!
Do as I say, not as I do. A new CAA survey1 reveals that 9 out of 10 people are seriously concerned about speeding in residential areas. And yet, the same survey also shows that 22% of them admit to speeding in neighbourhoods themselves.
Speeding in residential areas is a serious concern when it comes to road safety. Human beings being … human, CAA took the question a step further, asking respondents if they themselves engaged in dangerous driving behaviours. Top 4 answers: overspeeding on the freeway (45% admit to driving too fast), using technology while driving (32% allow themselves to be distracted at the wheel), overspeeding in residential areas (22% don’t adapt their driving) and driving in a state of fatigue (19% risk falling asleep while driving).
In its 2022 report, the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) reported the highest number of road fatalities in the last 10 years. While this proves that many behaviours require further adaptation, road users also bear a responsibility to take action by ensuring better compliance with their obligations. As for raising awareness, this must be done on an ongoing basis to ensure that the message is well understood.
“Speeding is a concern for all organizations committed to road safety. The overwhelming majority of accidents are avoidable, as they arise from dangerous behaviours. Slowing down is as important for your own safety as it is for that of others.”
- André Durocher, Director of Community Relations and Road Safety
Since road safety is at the heart of CAA-Quebec’s activities, we were able to witness a good number of these habits during our latest observation tour of dangerous behaviours in school zones. Furthermore, according to the Traffic Injury Research Foundation, exceeding the speed limit by 10km/h increases the odds of a collision by 60%, while only saving about 4 minutes on the average trip. In other words, the extra risk is just not worth it.
About André Durocher
Drawing on a solid career in road safety and well known to the media, André Durocher joins CAA-Quebec as Director of Community Relations and Road Safety. As such, his main responsibility will be to further develop the activities of the CAA-Quebec Foundation. His arrival takes over from Marco Harrison, who has successfully carried out projects with positive social impact over the past 7 years.
About CAA-Quebec
CAA-Quebec offers a wide range of assistance services in a wide variety of sectors, drawing on a human approach. As a socially committed organization, CAA-Quebec strives on a daily basis to protect the interests of its members. And in keeping with its values of reliability and benevolence, it fosters responsible consumption and promotes road safety.
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1. CAA’s findings are based on a survey conducted among 2503 Canadians between October 20 and 30, 2023. A probability sample of the same size would yield a margin of error of +/-2%.