OTTAWA — A new poll by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) shows that Canadians are becoming increasingly concerned about distracted driving.

In 2001, only 40 percent of Canadians considered distracted driving a serious problem. This number has risen to almost 70 percent, says TIRF.

“Canadians used to be much more concerned about drivers using cell phones than they were about other distractions,” says Ward Vanlaar, a research associate for TIRF. “While concern about cell phone use has remained steady over the years, concern about other distractions has dramatically increased.”

One reason for the increased concern may be a perceived increase in the amount of distracted driving. As compared to five years ago, 95.5 percent of Canadians now believe there is more distracted driving on our roads.

“Some drivers eat and drink behind the wheel, others read maps, some play with the car stereo, while others spend too much time admiring the landscape around them,” says Vanlaar. “Distractions like these — both inside and outside the vehicle — divert your attention from driving and elevate your risk of being in a collision.”

Among the various distractions, the poll revealed that external ones — events and objects outside the vehicle — posed the biggest threat for drivers.

While only 9.5 percent of Canadians had to steer or brake to avoid a collision due to an internal distraction, some 20.2 percent had to do so because of a distraction outside the vehicle.

The poll revealed that the number of Canadians who use their cell phones while driving is increasing. Some 37 percent of drivers admitted to using their cell phone behind the wheel during the last seven days. In 2001, this number was only 20.5 percent.

“It’s hard to ban distracted driving as the problem manifests itself in so many different ways,” says Vanlaar. “Increased awareness and education efforts can be quite useful; the more we encourage Canadians to focus on their driving, the better.”