A new survey from CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) has found that nearly all Ontario drivers witness dangerous driving, but far fewer admit to it themselves, a gap that lines up closely with how Ontario insurers already assess risk through convictions and telematics data rather than self-reported driving habits.
The survey found that 96% of Ontario drivers have observed dangerous driving behaviours over the past year, including speeding, cited by 78% of respondents, aggressive driving at 69%, unsafe lane changes at 68%, and distracted driving at 67%. Only 57% admitted to engaging in at least one dangerous driving behaviour themselves, rising to 62% among drivers aged 18 to 34.
For insurers, that disconnect is a familiar one: underwriting has long relied on driving records rather than self-assessment for exactly this reason.
Distracted driving, speeding, and stunt driving convictions are all treated as major offences by most Ontario insurers, and repeat major convictions can push a driver out of the standard market entirely and into the Facility Association's residual risk-sharing pool, where premiums run substantially higher than standard coverage.
Under Ontario's current penalty schedule, a first distracted driving conviction reportedly carries a fine starting at $615, three demerit points, and a three-day licence suspension, with penalties escalating on repeat offences.
Speeding fines under Ontario's Highway Traffic Act are calculated per kilometre per hour over the limit and double in construction zones and designated Community Safety Zones. Drivers going 50 km/h or more over the limit, or 40 km/h over on roads posted below 80 km/h, can be charged with stunt driving, which carries an immediate roadside licence suspension, vehicle impoundment, and fines starting at $2,000, all convictions that follow a driver's abstract and shape future premiums regardless of how the driver rates their own habits.
The gap between self-reported and actual driving risk is also part of why telematics-based insurance continues to gain traction in Ontario. According to a Rates.ca study, driver awareness of usage-based insurance has grown, though adoption remains modest. Among Ontario drivers already enrolled in telematics programs, 96% found them easy to set up, 71% said the data reflected their driving habits, and 88% said they would likely continue with the program at renewal.
Ontario's regulatory framework no longer restricts telematics data to discounts alone. The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario removed its previous discount-only usage-based insurance guidance in November 2020, and insurers can now apply surcharges for risky driving behaviour identified through telematics, provided the specific pricing model is submitted to and approved by FSRA in a rate filing. In practice, most programs offering surcharges today cap them well below the discounts on offer - commonly up to a 25% discount against a 10% surcharge - though FSRA has not set a maximum surcharge limit. That combination gives insurers a genuine, behaviour-based verification tool that self-reported habits alone can't provide, and one with real financial consequences attached in both directions.
Michael Stewart, community relations consultant at CAA South Central Ontario, said the findings show most drivers can recognize dangerous behaviour without necessarily recognizing it in themselves.
"Most Ontario drivers can identify dangerous behaviours when they see them, but many don't realize they may be contributing to the problem themselves," Stewart said. "The good news is that small changes in driver behaviour can make a big difference. By slowing down, staying focused and making safe choices behind the wheel, we can help create safer roads for everyone."
Speeding remained the most commonly self-reported dangerous behaviour, with 38% of drivers admitting to it and more than half of those saying they typically travel 10 to 19 km/h above the posted limit. Most Ontarians surveyed said they slow down once they realize they are speeding, and 87% said they support fines and penalties for speeding, with 37% saying enforcement had affected their driving behaviour in the past year.
A separate CAA SCO survey found that 16% of Ontario drivers have been involved in a collision caused by distracted driving, a figure the organization says has gradually increased in recent years, with rear-end collisions the most common type of crash associated with distraction. CAA SCO has not published the date or sample size of that separate survey alongside this release.
The findings arrive as Ontario heads into the Civic Holiday long weekend, a period that typically sees increased traffic volume and elevated speeding and stunt driving enforcement.
For brokers and insurers, the more useful signal may be whether enforcement data from the holiday period, and telematics uptake in its aftermath, show any narrowing of the gap between what drivers say about their own habits and what their driving records actually reflect.
