What’s New: In Brief (September 25, 2007)

A new poll by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) has found more than 2 million Canadians display aggressive driving behaviours.
“An aggressive driver may not intend to harm others, but their behaviour elevates everybody’s crash risk,” says Vanlaar. “Speeding, taking risks, and running red lights are all extremely dangerous.”
The poll also noted that most Canadians believe aggressive driving is on the rise, with 88% stating that aggressive driving is more common today than it was five years ago.
“Aggressive driving is a broad issue that includes behaviours like excessive speeding, running red lights, honking the horn, taking risks for fun while driving and, in the extreme, physical violence,” says Ward Vanlaar, a research associate for TIRF.
Among the findings, the poll found some 2.7 million Canadians admitted to frequently driving well over the speed limit. Another 2 million regularly speed up to get through red lights.
Even more disturbing, some 670,000 Canadians say they like to take risks while driving, just for the fun of it.
On the encouraging side, Canadians appear to be aware of the risks posed by aggressive driving.
Some 76% of Canadians think drivers who run red lights are either a very or extremely serious problem. Another 73% have the same opinion about street racing, and 66% about excessive speeding.

Stan Griffin, the retiring president and CEO of IBC, will give the luncheon address at the National Insurance Conference of Canada (NICC) on Monday, Oct. 1, 2007 in Montreal.
In a dynamic multimedia presentation, Mr. Griffin will speak about lessons learned during his 32 years in the industry, and bring to life his enduring message about the need to put the consumer at the centre of everything the industry does, an IBC press release notes.