54% of Canadians Driving Less Due to Gas Prices: Poll

A sign displays the price of a litre of regular grade gasoline at an Esso gas station in Vancouver, on March 8, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck)

Over half of Canadians are now driving less as gas prices skyrocket across the country, a new survey says.

The Leger survey, conducted for BNN Bloomberg and insurance comparison company RATESDOTCA, found 54 percent out of roughly 1,500 Canadians surveyed say that are driving less due to mounting gas prices. Another 15 percent say they are planning to adjust their driving patterns.

The drivers’ responses to recent gas price hikes are largely similar across the country in terms of how people are changing their habits, according to John Shmuel, managing editor for RATESDOTCA.

“Clearly, this is having a big impact on the average Canadian,” he told CTV News on March 27.

In British Columbia, where gas prices are typically the highest in the country, drivers are not modifying their habits at a higher rate than in other provinces, though Shmuel noted roughly three-quarters of its residents have already cut back on driving, or are planning to do so.

Among those surveyed in Ontario, 55 percent say they are driving less, while in Alberta, 46 percent say so—the lowest in the country. In Atlantic Canada, up to 70 percent say they are now driving less.

Some Canadians are also considering changing the type of cars they own in response to gas prices, with 18 percent of respondents considering switching to an electric car. Another 20 percent say they would likely buy a hybrid as their next vehicle. Only 27 percent say the high gas prices would not affect their choices in the next purchase.

More Canadians are considering buying electric vehicles (EV) in 2022 compared to the previous year, RATESDOTCA said in a news release, citing another survey conducted by the audit and tax advisory firm KPMG.

“Canadians remain enthusiastic about electric vehicles with as many as 71 percent saying they will consider an EV for their next purchase and half of all respondents saying their desire to buy an EV is greater today than it was a year ago,” KPMG said in a news release in February.

However, RATESDOTCA noted that those looking to buy a new EV will have to be patient as they join the long waiting list mainly caused by the shortage of certain electric parts.

The Leger poll notes the high gas prices could accelerate British Columbians’ transition to electric vehicles. The province is already a leading jurisdiction for EV uptake in North America, according to the B.C. government.

In the meantime, B.C. drivers with ICBC insurance will soon be receiving a one-time rebate, easing some pressure as gas prices hit record highs in the province. Premier John Horgan announced the $395 million rebate from the public auto insurer on March 25. Eligible drivers will get a payment of $110 starting in May if they have signed up for direct deposit with ICBC, while those who haven’t will be receiving a cheque in June.

The RATESDOTCA poll found that while Canadians are driving less, few are keeping their insurer informed. Only 17 percent of respondents said they had notified their insurance company that they have changed their habits, compared to 39 percent who said they had not notified their insurer. Two out of five (41 percent) said they didn’t know that changes in their driving habits could impact their insurance premium.

The Leger poll was conducted online between March 11 and 13, surveying 1,515 Canadians.