Majority of Manitobans concerned about distracted driving: survey

CTV News

2 days ago

A driver uses their mobile phone while driving in an undated image. Uploaded on July 30, 2025. (File photo)
A recent survey conducted by CAA Manitoba found that distracted driving and speeding are the top two safety concerns in the province.
An online survey conducted in February 2025 found that 88 per cent of Manitoba drivers 'feel somewhat or very concerned about distracted driving,' while nearly half of the 506 adult drivers admitted to being distracted drivers.
'We know that drivers who text are far more likely to be involved in a crash or near-crash compared to non-distracted drivers,' said Ewald Friesen, manager, government and community relations for CAA Manitoba, in a news release.
The survey by DIG Insights also revealed that 13 per cent of drivers reported being directly involved in a collision due to distracted driving, while over half of Manitobans believe that increasing fines and penalties can discourage such behaviour.
'What is most concerning, however, is that currently, Manitoba does not have a specific distracted driving law, which could help deter distracted drivers and increase road safety,' said Friesen.
Meanwhile, a separate survey conducted in March 2025 revealed that 82 per cent of the 500 adult drivers believe speeding is a problem this year.
The same survey showed that 65 per cent of drivers support automatic speed enforcement cameras, though Winnipeg currently remains the only municipality in the province with the right to use photo enforcement, per the CAA news release.