Taking Safety For Granted: Are Canadians Pushing Their Luck?

LAVAL, QC, April 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - A vast majority of Canadians seem to be taking personal safety for granted. A recent Michelin Canada Safety Survey found that on average over 80 per cent of Canadians do not think of improving their safety at home, at workplaces or on the road. This complacency is alarming given that well over 50 per cent of Canadians don't believe they are very prepared when it comes to safety at home and workplaces. As for safety on the road, there is more cause for concern. A whopping 63 per cent of Canadians say they don't feel safe in their car. Yet 84 per cent of the population does not often think of improving vehicle safety.

Some important findings from the Michelin Canada Safety Survey:

• UNSAFE AT HOME: Eighty-one per cent of Canadians say they feel safe in their homes. But only 44 per cent say they are very prepared when it comes to safety within their homes. And 82 per cent say they don't often think about ways to improve safety at home.
  
  
• UNSAFE AT WORK: Once Canadians leave the comfort of their homes, the safety scale begins to slide.  Sixty-seven per cent of Canadians say they feel safe at work. But only 44 per cent say they are very prepared when it comes to safety at work. And 83 per cent say they don't often think about ways to improve safety at work.
  
  
• UNSAFE ON THE ROAD: Behind the wheel, confidence around safety decreases even more. As few as 37 per cent of Canadians say they feel safe in the car, and a mere 27 per cent say they are very prepared when it comes to safety in their cars. Yet a staggering 84 per cent of Canadians say they don't often think about ways to improve safety in the car.
  
  
• UNSAFE DRIVING IN THE RAIN: As April showers descend, the elements add to safety concerns. Only one-fifth (21 per cent) of Canadians indicate they are very confident driving in heavy rain at night, and 40 per cent are very confident in heavy day-time rain.
  
  
• UNSAFE PERSONAL INFORMATION HABITS: Safety concerns are also evident in the use of digital devices. 77 per cent of Canadians admitted that they do not change PIN numbers regularly, 68 per cent do not change the password on smartphones or computers; one fifth (20 per cent) of Canadians have ventured out without any form of identification.
  
  
• LACK OF EMERGENCY KITS: Despite the best safety precautions, what if unfortunately something did go wrong? How prepared are Canadians to handle safety emergencies?  59 per cent of Canadians do not create or replenish a vehicle emergency kit; 57 per cent do not create or replenish an emergency kit at home; 56 per cent do not create or update an emergency contact list.

Michelin encourages all Canadians to take safety seriously and not to cut corners. Michelin is dedicated to safety and constantly strives to raise the bar of safety in mobility.

"At Michelin, one of the most important expectations from our tires is the safety of the passengers driving on them," said Tony Mougios, Director of Marketing, Michelin Canada. "We invest heavily in technology innovation. Our tires pass the most stringent safety standards, and that's why Canadian drivers trust the Michelin brand and feel safe riding on our tires with their families."

Earlier this month, Canadians started buying the MICHELIN® Defender™, the greatest standard passenger car tire to roll off Michelin production lines. The Defender tire uses state-of-the-art IntelliSipe Technology™ that provides additional grip, significantly reducing stopping distance and helping drivers brake confidently. The Defender also has exceptional wet handling capacities. Given the high proportion of Canadians who do not feel very confident driving in the rain, the Michelin Defender can provide peace of mind. On top of all this, the Defender provides great fuel efficiency and longevity.

"The Defender was designed with the average Canadian family in mind. It uses technology that helps the tire last much longer than others. These days with gas prices skyrocketing, the Defender helps Canadian families save precious dollars at the pumps. All this without any compromise on safety," added Mougios.

Even simple measures like checking tire pressure once a month can help improve vehicle safety. The Michelin Canada website www.michelin.ca/tires101 has a detailed list of tips on how Canadians can improve their vehicle safety.

From March 19 to March 22, 2012 an online survey was conducted among 2,009 randomly selected Canadian adults who are also Angus Reid Forum panel members. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 2.2%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current data on age, gender, region and education to ensure the sample is representative of the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

About Michelin

Dedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility, Michelin designs, manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy-duty trucks and motorcycles. The company also publishes travel guides, hotel and restaurant guides, maps and road atlases. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America (www.michelinman.com) employs more than 22, 200 and operates 18 major manufacturing plants in 16 locations.

SOURCE Michelin Canada