Distracted driving and fear of an accident among Canadian parents’ biggest concerns while driving

Toronto, Ontario, November 13, 2018 — According to a new Ipsos poll conducted for Hyundai Auto Canada Corp (Hyundai Canada), safety while driving is a prominent concern among Canadian parents, particularly when having children in the vehicle. The vast majority (84%) of Canadian parents are more concerned with vehicle safety now than before they had children and one in five (22%) agree that driving with children in the vehicle stresses them out.

Greatest fear while driving with children is the potential for an accident

On an unaided basis, over half of Canadian parents (54%) report that the worry of an accident or crash is their greatest fear while driving with children in the vehicle. Other prominent concerns relate to the fear of distracted drivers, including one in five (21%) who are most fearful of other bad/distracted drivers, followed by half as many who have concerns about becoming distracted themselves (12%).

Distracted driving among most prominent concerns while driving

When asked about the level of concern Canadian parents feel towards different aspects of their driving experience, the distracted driving behaviour of other drivers tops the list (80% extremely/ very concerned), followed by the use of seatbelts by those in the vehicle (76%) and aggressive driving behaviour of others (69%). The study also found that nearly half of parents are concerned with a child opening the doors when the vehicle is stopped and before someone can assist them (49% extremely/very/ somewhat concerned).

Despite the high level of concern about distracted driving behaviour and laws in place to discourage such behaviour, texting and driving is still an occurrence. Half of Canadian parents (49%) admit to using a cell phone while driving (talking or texting with a handheld device) and a majority of parents report using a cell phone while stopped at a traffic light (61%).

Parents are most likely to feel most concerned while driving on highways with four in ten (41%) extremely or very concerned, followed closely by streets with bike lanes (37%) and school parking lots (35%). The most common reason they may need to exit the vehicle quickly during a typical trip is for bathroom breaks (28%), followed by an accident or car troubles (17%) and car sickness (10%).

Safety Features most important consideration in a vehicle

Given the high degree of concern Canadian parents have while driving with children in the vehicle, it is perhaps not surprising that safety features top the list in terms of what they’re looking for in a vehicle (38% rank it the most important factor they consider), followed by cost, 25% and fuel efficiency 13%. When asked to choose their ideal type of vehicle, the majority choose a type of SUV (58%), while closer to one in ten prefer a sedan (15%), truck (14%) or van (8%).

About the Study

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between October 1st to 18th 2018, on behalf of Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. For this survey, a random sample of 1,501 Canadians with children under the age of 18 were interviewed online using the Ipsos Gen Pop Canada Omnibus survey. Weighting is employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online surveys is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the survey is accurate to within ±2.9 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all adults Canadians with children under 18 been surveyed. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
Michael Howell
Vice President, Canada, Public Affairs
Ipsos
+1 416 572-4407
[email protected]

About Ipsos

Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. Ipsos ranks fourth in the global research industry.

With offices in 89 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across five research specializations: brand, advertising and media; customer loyalty; marketing; public affairs research; and survey management.
Ipsos researchers 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 and they measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of €1,780.5 million in 2017.