PEIThe results are in from a government survey about highway safety on P.E.I., and they show that Islanders don’t think the roads are as safe as they should be. On overall road safety, only seven per cent of respondents felt that P.E.I. roads are ‘very safe,’ whereas the remaining 93 per cent felt they are only ‘somewhat safe,’ ‘not at all safe’ or were unsure. Province using survey responses to create 10-year highway safety strategyJenna Banfield · CBC News · Posted: Dec 03, 2025 4:47 PM EST | Last Updated: 4 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Islanders want aggressive driving and texting while driving addressed as P.E.I. creates highway safety strategyResults are in from a government survey about highway safety, and Islanders say more work needs to be done to address issues like aggressive driving or texting while driving — all while designing better highways. CBC’s Cody MacKay has more.The results are in from a government survey about highway safety on P.E.I., and they show that Islanders don’t think the roads are as safe as they should be.More than 1,700 Islanders completed the survey, titled Pathways to Highway Safety, which asked participants to weigh in on road use, safety concerns and driving behaviours.On overall road safety, only seven per cent of respondents felt that P.E.I. roads are ‘very safe,’ whereas the remaining 93 per cent felt they are only ‘somewhat safe,’ ‘not at all safe’ or were unsure. Aggressive driving, texting while driving and driving after consuming cannabis were identified by survey participants as the most increased high-risk behaviours observed over the past five years.Some drivers on P.E.I. say they see bad habits every day. Oliver Chavez says he generally feels safe on the highway, but has noticed an increase in dangerous and distracted driving in the last few years.Oliver Chavez says he feels dangerous driving has increased on P.E.I. over recent years. (Barry Acton/CBC)”Every now and then you’ll see people like, driving on the wrong side of the road or maybe on their phones or just doing every kind of weird [thing],” Chavez said.He believes an increased police presence on highways could help reduce speeding.Frank McQuaid described P.E.I. drivers’ behaviours as much more aggressive these days.”Passing in places where it’s not safe to pass, using bicycle lanes on the side of the street as a way to get around the traffic, you know, just pass wherever there’s a space, doesn’t matter if it’s for bicycles or pedestrians,” he said.Frank McQuade says he doesn’t feel that speeding is the most prevalent road safety issue on the Island, but instead identified drivers distracted by their phones as a top concern. (Barry Acton/CBC)But McQuaid said one of the biggest culprits, in his opinion, is drivers being too polite. “Some really kind of seemingly harmless things that people do, like giving the right of way,” he said. “You come to an intersection… you have to stop, but they insist that you go.”McQuaid said he also notices a lot of drivers on their phones, and feels that even hands-free phones can be a distraction for drivers. The province’s chief engineer, Stephen Yeo, said department staff have seen and heard concerns like this firsthand.”Cars stop at a red light, numerous times you see people picking up their cell phones. You know, that’s a concern because you need to know what’s happening in front of you,” he told CBC News.P.E.I.’s chief engineer, Stephen Yeo, says staff with the department of transportation, have observed firsthand many of the top concerns identified by survey participants. (Ken Linton/CBC)Public suggestions for improving road safetySurvey participants were also invited to share suggestions for improving highway safety.When it came to road infrastructure, feedback included improving road markings, making shoulders wider and adding dedicated bike lanes, and designing safer intersections, including roundabouts. Other themes that emerged from the survey included support for measures to reduce speeding, stronger enforcement for vehicle equipment standards, and stricter fines and suspensions for drivers who break road rules.The province’s goal is to reduce crashes, especially ones that result in serious injuries or fatalities. They plan to seek more public input when they release a draft of the Highway Safety Strategy in late 2026.With files from Cody MacKay
Aggressive driving and texting among Islanders’ top concerns on P.E.I. roads, survey finds
