Travelers Canada Poll: Millennials More Vocal About Distracted Driving

October 3, 2018

The Travelers Institute brings its Every Second Matters™distracted driving campaign to Canadian university students

CALGARY, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Travelers Institute, the public policy division of The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV), is bringing its Every Second Matters symposium to students at the University of Calgary today to highlight the dangers of distracted driving and encourage safe behaviours among Canadian youth. Today’s program is being held in collaboration with the Risk Management and Insurance Program at the University of Calgary Haskayne School of Business, the Professional Young Insurance Brokers, Pacific Western Transportation, the National Safety Council and the Road to Zero Coalition.

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Travelers Canada will highlight survey results about millennial behaviours and attitudes related to distracted driving. The survey found that 42 per cent of respondents have asked a driver to stop using their mobile device while they were a passenger in the vehicle and that millennials are more likely to voice their concerns about distracted driving as a passenger than any other age group. Specifically:

  • Fifty-nine per cent of millennials (ages 18–34) surveyed have asked a driver to stop using their mobile device while being a passenger in their car, compared to:
    • 41 per cent of respondents ages 35–44.
    • 45 per cent of respondents ages 45–54.
    • 30 per cent of respondents ages 55 and older.

“It is particularly compelling — and encouraging — to see that the demographic most comfortable with asking a driver to put down their mobile device is Canadian youth,” said Jordan Solway, Group General Counsel and Vice President of Claim at Travelers Canada. “Distracted driving is a deadly habit, and we should all be advocates when it comes to speaking up about its dangers and our safety.”

The survey findings also highlight some areas of caution. For example, 44 per cent of millennials have called someone they knew was driving and 36 per cent have texted someone they knew was driving. In addition, Canadian drivers ages 18 to 54 are more likely than those ages 55 and older to admit to texting, answering a call or sending an email while driving, with 63 per cent of millennials admitting to doing so once a week or more.

Solway will join leaders from across sectors to explore promising approaches to combating distracted driving. The symposium will also highlight a Travelers Institute report, Every Second Matters: A conversation starter on reducing distracted driving risk, for Canadian drivers. Additional events will be held across Canada into 2019. Please visit the Travelers Institute website to learn more about its Every Second Matters campaign.

Travelers Canada Poll Methodology
The survey was conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of Travelers Canada March 9–12, 2018, among 948 Canadian drivers ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample, and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and sub-group sample sizes, please contact Yen To, YTO@travelers.com.

About the Travelers Institute
The Travelers Institute, the public policy division of The Travelers Companies, Inc., engages in discussion and analysis of public policy topics of importance to the insurance marketplace and to the financial services industry more broadly. The Travelers Institute draws upon the industry expertise of Travelers Canada senior management, as well as the technical expertise of many of Travelers underwriters, risk managers and other experts to provide information, analysis and solutions to public policymakers and regulators. Travelers is a leading provider of property casualty insurance for auto, home and business. For more information, visit https://www.travelerscanada.ca/.

The Travelers Companies, Inc.
Yen To, 416-607-7618
YTO@travelers.com

Source: The Travelers Companies, Inc.