Canadians not buying into snow tires: RBC Insurance survey
MISSISSAUGA, ON - November 18, 2008 — Despite
Canada's snowy winters, only 57 per cent of Canadian drivers
put snow tires on their cars and of the 43 per cent who don't,
half (54 per cent) are not willing to spend the money to do
so, according to an RBC Insurance/Ipsos Reid consumer survey.
"Installing winter tires should be a critical safety
measure for all Canadian drivers," said Francois Boulanger,
president and CEO of RBC General Insurance Company. "Canadians
need to think of it as an investment in their family's safety."
Drivers in the Prairie Provinces appear to be most averse
to installing winter tires. Fifty-nine per cent of drivers
in Alberta and 69 per cent in Manitoba and Saskatchewan do
not use snow tires on their vehicles. Of those drivers who
don't use winter tires in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, more
than half (57 per cent) are not willing to purchase them.
In Alberta, the number increases to 62 per cent.
In Ontario, 57 per cent of drivers do not use snow tires
on their vehicles and in British Columbia, the number decreases
to about 52 per cent.
"Drivers in regions that don't typically get heavy snowfall
should not overlook the value of winter tires," added
Boulanger. "Preventing even a small 'fender bender' could
save them from an insurance rate increase as a result of an
insurance claim."
In Quebec, where the use of snow tires during the winter
months becomes law on December 15, 2008, 96 per cent of drivers
use snow tires; and in Atlantic Canada where snow fall accumulation
is often high, 72 per cent report using snow tires.
These are the findings of an RBC Insurance/Ipsos Reid survey
conducted between March 27 and April 10, 2008. The poll was
based on a randomly selected sample of 2,251 adult Canadians,
who were interviewed by telephone. With a sample of this size,
the results are considered accurate to within ±2.19
percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would
have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled.
The margin of error will be larger within regions and for
other sub-groupings of the survey population. The data was
statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and
age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population
according to the census data.
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Media Contacts:
Kerry Gaetano, (905) 816-5583, kerry.gaetano@rbc.com
Margie McNeil, (905) 606-1425, margie.mcneil@rbc.com
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