Impaired Driving • Back to Main Page Anything that may impair your ability to make decisions should never be mixed with driving. The substances to avoid are not only illegal drugs such as marijuana but many prescription and over the counter medications as well. (Adapted from Transport Canada, 2005)   Buckle Up Whenever you are in a vehicle, buckle your seatbelt Lock away the keys of an impaired driver Look First   Plan ahead, if you are going to drink arrange for a safe ride home or stay over night Keep an eye out for your driver to be sure they stay sober Get Trained   Ask your health care provider or pharmacist about the side effects of your over the counter or prescription drugs Drugs and alcohol together can have dangerous effects, check with your Pharmacist Stay Sober   Do not drive if you have had anything to drink, have taken drugs or medication that causes impairment, or if you are severely fatigued or distracted for any reason Most injuries are predictable, and can be prevented by following these clear, simple, positive messages developed by the Smartrisk Foundation. Smartrisk is a national non-profit organization dedicated to preventing injuries and saving lives. What can it cost you and others? Impaired driving puts everyone on the road, including you, at risk for death and injury There are approximately 1350 fatalities resulting from impaired driving every year in Canada. Thousands more are injured, many permanently (CAMH, 2005) The death rate from impaired driving is three times the national murder rate  Legally what happens? Driving while under the influence of alcohol is the single largest criminal cause of death in Canada Every year in Ontario, there are about 16 000 impaired driving convictions A first time impaired driving offence is punishable in Canada by a loss of license for one year plus a fine. For the second offence, the driver can lose their license for up to three years in addition to a fine and possible jail time. Subsequent offences could mean lifetime license suspension, fines and jail time. If the impaired driver is found guilty of causing bodily harm or death, they can be punished by sentences of ten or more years in jail Ignition Interlock On top of license suspensions, fines, jail time, and educational workshops, impaired drivers will now have to participate in Ontario’s Ignition Interlock Program. Once convicted of impaired driving and after you have fulfilled the license suspension period, drivers that want to start driving will need to install an ignition interlock system in their vehicle for a minimum of one year and at their own expense.  This system works by requiring a breath sample from the driver before allowing them to start his or her car. If the machine detects that the driver’s Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) is over the pre-set limit of 0.02 (20mg per 100ml of blood), the car will not start.  Once driving, he or she will need to provide random breath samples at periodic times. If these samples are not provided, the system will issue a warning, record the event and activate a specific alarm system (e.g. lights flashing, horn honking etc.) until the car is turned off (MTO, 2005). Everyone who drives such a vehicle will need to participate in the program, including family and friends.  If caught driving without the device such drivers are subject to more fines and extended driving restrictions. More information • Ontario Ministry of Transportation Prevention is Key You have the power to minimize your risk.  Never drive while under the influence of alcohol or other substances and never be a passenger in a car with a driver who has been drinking or is impaired from another substance such as cannabis (pot).  Your life is too important to take these risks. Here are some alternative ideas to driving impaired or to letting someone who is impaired drive you anywhere: Choose a reliable designated driver who you can trust not to drink or do drugs If you choose to take drugs or drink and have no designated driver to take you home: Call a family member or friend to pick you up Take a bus Take a taxi Walk Spend the night Getting into a vehicle with an impaired driver, or getting behind the wheel after you have been taking drugs or drinking is not safe!  There are always safer alternatives that will reduce the risk of injury to you and others – make the safer choice! Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana is Illegal  Cannabis impairs depth perception, attention span and concentration, slows reaction time, and decreases muscle strength and hand steadiness — all of which can affect a person’s ability to drive safely Police have many resources to help them identify drivers that are high.  They include:  Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFST), where there is reasonable suspicion that a driver has a drug in the body. SFSTs are divided-attention tests that evaluate a subject's ability to multitask. These tests are administered at the roadside Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) evaluations where the officer reasonably believes a drug-impaired driving offence was committed. This includes a situation where the driver fails the SFST. These are administered at the police station A sample of saliva, urine or blood will be taken should the DRE officer identify that a specific family of drugs caused the impairment Many of the penalties of drinking and driving apply to driving while under the influence of drugs For information on pot and driving Canadian Safety Council Transport Canada Canadian Centre On Substance Abuse References: Play it Smart – Health Canada (pamphlet) “But Everyone Knows …” Myths about Drinking and Driving – ARF (booklet) MADD Canada website – www.madd.ca Centre for Addictions and Mental Health Justice Canada's document: 'Theory of Drug Evaluation by Trained Officers' (2004) To the top