When we talk about impaired driving, many people automatically think about drunk drivers and impairment by alcohol. But roadside survey and studies show that drugs are more prevalent among drivers than alcohol.
Drugs can impair one’s ability to drive. Depending on the drug type, they can reduce alertness, alter depth perception, impair concentration, and attention span, slow reaction time and affect motor skills and visual function.
Despite the growing presence of drugs among drivers, the charge rate remains very low. In 2019, there were 77,645 criminal charges and short-term provincial licence suspensions for driving with alcohol, while the total number of charges and short-term licence suspensions for driving with drugs was 9,319.
New laws and detection measures introduced in 2018 as part of Bill C-46 will help. They include driving limits for cannabis and roadside oral fluid testing for cannabis and other drugs.
Other detection measures for drugs include behaviour-based tests called the Standard Field Sobriety Test (SFST) and the Drug Recognition Evaluation (DRE).
