Survey finds most Canadians driving less due to high gas prices

With gas prices setting records in B.C. and across the country, more than half of Canadians say they're driving less, according to a recent survey.

Conducted by Leger on behalf of the insurance comparison company RATESDOTCA, the poll asked a representative sample of 1,500 Canadians how the recent surge in gas prices has affected their driving habits.

In addition to the 54 per cent who said they're already driving less, another 15 per cent said they hadn't modified their driving habits yet, but expected to do so, according to John Shmuel, RATESDOTCA's managing editor.

"Clearly, this is having a big impact on the average Canadian," Shmuel said.

While B.C. typically sees the highest gas prices in Canada, B.C. drivers were not more likely to say the latest price spike has them driving less.

Shmuel told CTV News B.C. respondents were roughly in line with the rest of the country in terms of how they've been changing their driving habits.

Still, he noted, nearly three-quarters of B.C. residents have either already cut back on their driving or intended to do so.

The survey found Canadians are also increasingly considering buying an electric, hybrid or alternative-fuel-source vehicle the next time they purchase a new vehicle.

Shmuel said electric vehicles currently account for about three per cent of sales nationwide, but 18 per cent of poll respondents said they expected their next car to be electric.

Another 20 per cent planned to buy a hybrid.

"This is a huge surge - if it holds true - in the coming months and years," Shmuel said.

B.C. already leads North American jurisdictions in EV uptake, with zero-emission vehicles accounting for 9.4 per cent of sales in 2020, according to the provincial government. 

The RATESDOTCA poll's findings suggest the high cost of gasoline may accelerate a shift that's already underway in B.C.

In the meantime, drivers in the province - including those who drive electric vehicles - will soon be receiving a rebate from ICBC intended as compensation for the recent spike in gas prices, which has been driven by the rising cost of oil amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

Drivers with basic insurance through ICBC can expect to receive $110, while commercial drivers should receive $165, according to the province.

The rebate is expected to cost $395 million. Those who are eligible to receive a payment will get it in May if they are signed up for direct deposit with ICBC. Those who aren't will receive a cheque in June.

Shmuel advises those who have reduced their driving because of high gas prices to check with their insurance company to see if they qualify for discounts.

"A lot of people don't realize this," he said. "In our survey, we found that only 17 per cent of respondents said they told their insurance company that they were driving less."

In B.C., vehicles driven less than 5,000 kilometres per year qualify for a 10 per cent discount from ICBC.