Canadian drivers are less polite than we like to think: survey

Canadians aren’t as polite as we like to think, at least while on the road.

A new Kanetix.ca survey found 98 per cent of Canadian drivers think they’re polite behind the wheel–but other motorists don’t often agree.

“Canadians seem to be overstating their own level of politeness,” Janine White, vice-president of marketplace at Kanetix.ca, said in a release. “There is a huge disconnect between how we think we are behaving and what is actually being seen on the roads.”

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While 78 per cent of respondents say they always yield to pedestrians and cyclists, just 12 per cent say they see other drivers doing so.

A majority (77 per cent) say they always wave when someone lets them merge into their lane, but just nine per cent see other drivers expressing thanks. Interestingly, just 32 per cent allow other drivers into their lane.

Only two per cent admit to following closely if they’re behind a slow driver, but 15 per cent see other drivers doing so.

And 21 per cent of respondents see other drivers failing to signal in time or at all when they turn, but only one per cent admits to that.

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This story was originally published by Canadian Insurance Top Broker.