A new national survey from Desjardins Insurance, conducted among nearly 4,000 Canadians in 2026, has found that road safety in the country is being reshaped by a convergence of risks, as drivers navigate increasingly demanding conditions while under pressure.
The insurer said the findings point to opportunities to better understand these risks and encourage safer driving behaviour.
While distracted driving remains the most widely recognized issue, the survey suggests the underlying story is broader than any single behaviour.
Six in 10 Canadians, 60%, rank distracted driving among the top road safety risks, a position it has consistently held nationally. But the nature of that distraction has shifted. External factors such as traffic, pedestrians and activity outside the vehicle are now the leading source, cited by 35% of respondents, ahead of cell phone-related distractions at 32%, in-vehicle technology at 26%, and everyday habits like eating or drinking at 22%.
At the same time, Canadians are getting behind the wheel under strain. Nearly half, 49%, said they frequently feel stressed or tired, pointing to the growing role mental load plays in focus, reaction time and decision-making while driving.
Valérie Lavoie, president and chief operating officer of Desjardins General Insurance Group, said road safety is about more than individual behaviour, adding that it is shaped by the conditions drivers face every day. She said Canadians are navigating distraction, stress and constant external demands all at once, and that making a real difference will require addressing that full reality through stronger awareness, better education and actions that help reduce risk on the roads.
The survey also points to how visible risky behaviour remains across the country. Some 68% of respondents said they frequently witness aggressive driving, while 19% report seeing alcohol-impaired driving and 24% report seeing cannabis-impaired driving. Speeding drew a notable contradiction: 85% of Canadians recognize it as a major risk, yet 26% said it is acceptable to exceed posted speed limits.
The findings arrive as Canadian auto insurers continue to grapple with the cost of collision-related claims.
Distracted driving alone is estimated to cost Canadian insurers more than $102 million annually, according to an analysis by HelloSafe, a figure expected to climb as related collisions increase, while TD Insurance has separately reported that distracted driving was responsible for roughly a quarter of serious injuries on Canadian roads in 2021. Combined with the survey's finding that a majority of drivers are operating under frequent stress or fatigue, the data reinforces a claims environment where behavioural and cognitive factors, not just mechanical or weather-related causes, remain a persistent driver of collision frequency and severity.
Insurers have increasingly turned to usage-based insurance and telematics programs as a response, tracking real driving behaviour such as hard braking, rapid acceleration and time of day to personalize premiums and encourage safer habits.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada noted such programs are voluntary and require informed consent before data is collected, and telematics offerings are now available through insurers operating in Ontario, Alberta, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
The survey's emphasis on driver awareness and education also lands at a pointed moment for Ontario, the country's largest auto insurance market.
As of July 1, 2026, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) has moved the province from a standardized accident benefits package to a modular model, under which only medical, rehabilitation and attendant care benefits remain mandatory, while income replacement, caregiver, visitor expense and funeral benefits become optional add-ons.
FSRA has developed a communications toolkit with industry bodies, including the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario, to help brokers explain the changes, and legal experts have warned that drivers who opt for minimal coverage without understanding the consequences could face lengthy tort claims to recover costs previously covered automatically.
For brokers, the reform adds a further layer to the kind of proactive, education-led client engagement the Desjardins survey suggests is needed on road safety more broadly.
Together, the findings point to a road safety landscape where risks are not isolated but overlapping. Distraction, stress and behaviour are interacting in ways that are making the driving environment more demanding for Canadians, at the same time as regulatory change is asking drivers to take on more responsibility for their own coverage decisions.
As these pressures continue to build, improving road safety will depend on recognizing how Canadians actually experience the road today, and on ensuring drivers are supported with the tools, awareness and conditions needed to stay focused and make safer decisions, both behind the wheel and at the point of purchasing coverage.
