British Columbians Support a Cell Phone Ban for Drivers

27 July 2009

Vancouver, BC - A new Ipsos Reid survey conducted on behalf of the BC Medical Association reveals that an overwhelming majority of British Columbians believe that cell phone use by drivers has become a serious road safety issue and that most would support a complete ban on cell phone use by drivers.

Driver Cell Phone Use Viewed as Serious Issue: More than nine-in-ten (92%) British Columbians think that cell phone use by drivers in BC is a serious road safety issue. This includes six-in-ten (62%) who think it's a "very serious" road safety issue and three-in-ten (29%) who think it's a "somewhat serious" issue. Very few British Columbians perceive cell phone use as either a "not very serious" (7%) or "not at all serious" (1%) road safety issue.

The perceived seriousness of this issue is consistent across regions and other demographics.

Most Support a Complete Ban on Cell Phone Use by Drivers:There is strong support in British Columbia for a complete cell phone ban. Three-quarters (76%) of British Columbians say they would support a complete ban on all cell phone use by drivers in the province. This includes a majority (56%) who "strongly support" a complete ban and two-in-ten (20%) who "somewhat support" a complete ban.

One-in-four (23%) British Columbians say they oppose a complete ban on all cell phone use by drivers in BC (11% "strongly oppose", 12% "somewhat oppose").

Support for a complete cell phone ban is consistent across regions and other demographics.

These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid telephone poll conducted on behalf of the BC Medical Association between July 8 and 12, 2009. The poll is based on a randomly selected sample of 800 adult (18+ years) British Columbians. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 177 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult population of BC been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual BC population according to 2006 Census data.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
Kyle Braid
Vice-President
Ipsos Reid
(778) 373-5000
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid

Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, health and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, visit www.ipsos.ca.

About Ipsos

Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world.

Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting. Ipsos has a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999.

In 2008, Ipsos generated global revenues of e979.3 million ($1.34 billion U.S.).