Author: Clayton DeMaine
Over two-thirds of Albertans believe drivers in the province should have a full Alberta driving licence for at least two years before being able to operate commercial vehicles like tractor-trailers, according to a Scope Research poll.
According to Scope Research, 806 respondents aged 18 or older completed the survey via SMS. The results were weighted by age and gender using data from the 2021 Canadian census to ensure the sample reflects Alberta’s demographic makeup.
For a comparable probability-based sample, the margin of error would be three per cent 19 times out of 20.
The poll was conducted from July 30th to August 4th.
Respondents were asked to rate their level of agreement with the statement “drivers should have an Alberta driver’s licence (Class 5) for at least two years before being able to operate commercial vehicles like tractor-trailers.
Nearly 70 per cent of respondents said they agreed with the proposed restrictions on commercial drivers in the province. Only 15 percent said they disagreed, while the remainder either “didn’t know” or had no opinion.
When those without an opinion one way or the other were removed from the results of the study, about 82 per cent agreed on the proposed restrictions for commercial driving.
The survey comes as Alberta cracked down on dangerous commercial drivers. Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen, just days after the survey concluded, announced the province had removed 20 unsafe carriers since October, including 13 “chameleon carriers accused of changing names or operations to evade regulators.
The move is part of a wider initiative to ensure the roads are safe from rogue truck drivers and fraudulent instructors.