The Road Safety Monitor is a unique, annual public opinion survey that takes the pulse of the nation on key traffic safety issues and tracks changes in the behaviours, attitudes and opinions of Canadians. The poll is conducted each Fall and two or three topical issues are explored. Drinking and driving is a topic each year along with one or more additional topics that are selected based on emerging issues or current road safety priorities. The survey determines: what Canadians know about safe driving practices; how they behave on the highways; their attitudes and opinions about continuing and emerging road safety problems; and, their views about existing and promising new ways to address them.

The findings are widely disseminated through stakeholders, governments and the media to heighten awareness, improve knowledge, change behaviour, and, create a demand for action to resolve critical road safety problems. The survey contains a core set of questions to monitor trends, and, each year the survey probes a special traffic safety issue in depth.

Past sponsors include Transport Canada, Canadian Trucking Alliance, Motorcycle and Moped Industry Council, Canada Safety Council, Canadian Motorcycle Association, Toyota Canada Foundation, Royal & SunAlliance, Young Drivers of Canada, Affiliated Computer Services, Inc., and Aviva Canada.