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A new survey shows a clear disconnect between drivers’ attitudes toward traffic safety and their own behaviours.

More than 3,600 people were surveyed online, on the phone or via an Insight Community survey.

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The 2016 Edmonton Traffic Safety Culture Survey found that among those drivers responding online, 94 per cent said that to type text messages, emails or use social media while driving, was a serious threat to their safety, yet 33 per cent said that over the past month they have done so while driving and 62 per cent while stopped at a traffic light.

Fifty-eight per cent of respondents to the public online survey said it was “completely unacceptable” to talk on the phone while driving yet as much as 17.6 per cent admitted to doing just that over the previous 30 days.

Similarly, 66 per cent of respondents said it is not acceptable to speed on residential streets yet more than 43 per cent report having done so during the past 30 days.

“Our attitudes and beliefs can increase or decrease our risk of being in a collision,” said Laura Thue, Senior Research Coordinator with Traffic Safety, in a release.

“Ideally our actions match our beliefs. In other words, if we think texting and driving is dangerous when other people do it, then we won’t drive while we text.”