Now that almost every province and territory has adopted legislation against distracted driving, is it time for governments to target "distracted walking?"
The majority of Canadians think so, according to a new poll from Insights West that found two-thirds support the idea of cities enacting laws that bar pedestrians from using cellphones while on roadways.
Such legislation would make it illegal for people to check their phones in a crosswalk, for example.
Support was even higher among people aged 55 and over, 80 per cent of whom agreed with the idea, and lowest among 18- to 34-year-olds.
Insights West found more than nine-in-ten Canadians agree with legislation against distracted driving, but only about half believe it's been effective in curbing bad behaviour among motorists.
"Canadians are definitely happy with the existence of distracted driving legislation, yet they continue to see drivers using hand-held devices with no consequences," pollster Mario Canseco said in a release.
"It is this perceived failure of enforcement that is making Canadians question the effectiveness of the law."
Over the summer, B.C.'s government introduced tougher penalties in a bid to curb distracted driving in the province, hiking the base fine to $368, more than double what it was previously.
Distraction also now carries four penalty points, which is enough to add an addition $175 to drivers' insurance premium.
The Insights West poll was conducted online from Sept. 6 to 8 among a representative sample of 1,013 adults. Surveys of that size have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
