Two provinces are focusing on two very different but serious road safety issues with new campaigns. Beginning this month, Manitoba Public Insurance and six police agencies across the province are partnering in a dedicated enforcement project aimed at drivers who continue to use hand-held electronic devices. Meanwhile a new survey in BC says a majority of residents there are worried about the safety of aging drivers as the number of seniors grows in the province, but say they don’t know how talk about the issue with loved ones, a new poll suggests.
Th BC poll was released Tuesday by the BCAA, as it launched a senior drivers tool kit, an online resource to keep senior drivers safe on the road. The tool kit can be found at bcaa.com/seniordrivers and is meant as a conversation guide to help people discuss the issue. According to BCAA, the number of seniors in projected to grow by 30 per cent over the next couple of decades.
In Manitoba, the programs is adding enforcement to tackle a growing concern.
“This partnership is the continuation of a similar, highly-successful project staged last November, “said MaryAnn Kempe, vice-president, Community & Corporate Relations, Manitoba Public Insurance. “Our corporation will be providing funding which will allow for additional enforcement to help reduce a very dangerous driving behaviour. Last November’s enforcement campaign resulted in 1,800 Provincial Offence Notices being issued to motorists who were using an electronic device while driving.”
The enforcement campaign is a joint initiative between Manitoba Public Insurance and the RCMP, Winnipeg Police Service and Brandon Police Service, as well as police agencies in Winkler, Morden and Rivers.
“Reducing fatalities on our roadways is accomplished by the proactive combination of education, awareness and law enforcement,” said Kempe. “According to recent polling conducted by our corporation, drivers who use hand-held cell phones is consistently rated as the most serious safety problem in the province.
Almost nine in 10 Manitobans say that cell phone use while driving is a serious problem. About 25 road deaths each year in Manitoba are attributed to distracted driving, according to Manitoba Public Insurance claims data, beginning in 2005. The penalty for using a hand-held electronic device while driving is a $200 ticket in addition to two demerits
Back in BC, the survey conducted for the BCAA by Insights West, found 71 per cent of respondents, including senior drivers, said more education on road safety for aging drivers is needed.
Nearly half of those surveyed with a senior in their lives said they didn’t have enough information to know whether their aging loved one is able to drive safely, while 32 per cent said they feel anxious whenever their loved one gets behind the wheel.
Although most respondents reported being concerned about senior drivers, 63 per cent said they have not talked to an aging family member about their driving. The survey also suggests that many people are afraid to broach the subject, with 41 per cent reporting they don’t know how to have a conversation about driving and safety with a senior.
The survey also found that most seniors (94 per cent) have taken at least one step to adjust their driving habits to stay safe including, no longer driving at night, avoiding high traffic hours and getting regular eye and hearing exams, but only five per cent said they have talked to a doctor about it.
Sources: mySteinbach.ca, & article by Tiffany Crawford, Vancouver Sun
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