B.C. motorists speed the most, think they're great drivers: survey

A new survey suggests people in B.C. fancy themselves great drivers, despite boasting the highest numbers of self-reporting speeders in Canada.

A whopping 97 per cent of motorists in the province consider themselves good drivers, which is a few points higher than the country’s average, but 82 per cent admit to speeding either some of the time or all the time.

When asked why, Autotrader’s Jonathan Yarkoney speculates it has to do with our low speed limits.

“Very low speed limits means it’s kind of hard to actually observe a speed limit that seems reasonable for the road condition,” he said.

As far as distracted driving goes, only 11 per cent of B.C. residents would admit to texting while on the road. Yarkoney admits as stigma builds around distracted driving, it’s possible people might have fibbed about their habits, despite the survey being anonymous.

“I have a feeling that it’s an issue of perception. For example, in our last survey, we asked ‘how well do you observe traffic and road signs’ and I felt like there was possibly some room for interpretation.”

“Maybe people were ignoring the fact that they tend to roll through a stop sign when the intersection is completely empty,” he said.

The survey by Autotrader.ca comes as a reminder that school will be back in session soon – school zone speed limits will be back in place and drivers will have to be extra cautious.

The Vancouver Police Department are also reminding people to put down their devices while driving and will be stepping up enforcement throughout the month of September.

More than 80 people are killed every year because of distracted driving. Keeping your hands on the wheel and focus on the road is crucial, said Inspector Ken Eng of the VPD Traffic Section.

“Leave your phones alone. Use a hands-free device or pull over to the side of the road if you need to talk or text. Don’t put your life, and the lives of others, at risk,” he said.

The fine for using an electronic device while driving is $167 and three points on your license.