A significant proportion of fatally injured drivers tested positive for drug use and levels were close to those of alcohol across Canada. Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or a combination of the two is extremely dangerous.

Young drivers and their friends who are passengers in the car, need to know that a driver's capabilities to drive safely after having smoked pot or taken prescription drugs can seriously impaired.

This is something we all need work on together in order to change attitudes of our youth.

Drivers between 16–24 years old account for most driver fatality cases; they also happen to be the group containing the largest proportion of drinking-driver fatalities (27.6%) and drug-positive driver fatalities (26.9%).²

While there is a clear understanding of the dangers of drunk driving by drivers of all ages, things are not so clear when it comes to the issue of driving under the influence of drugs like cannabis.

Studies continue to show that there is a significant percentage (30%) of young people of driving age who either strongly agree or agree that using cannabis before driving is not as risky as drinking and driving.   Too many young people remain unaware that driving while under the influence of prescription or illegal drugs like cannabis can seriously effect their driving capabilities.

An issue that needs to be addressed urgently.

Among young drivers, the high driving problem is rapidly becoming comparable to the drunk-driving problem.

Results of alcohol and drug tests performed on drivers who died in motor vehicle crashes in 2008 in Canada reveal that 37% were positive for drugs compared to 41% that tested positive for alcohol. ⁴

 

The likelihood of riding in a vehicle with a driver who had been using drugs significantly increases with school grade level.

Relaxed attitudes towards drugged driving are a part of the problem.  It’s just not considered as dangerous as drunk driving, neither by teenagers nor their parents.  There continues to be a clear misunderstanding that it can be a dangerous thing.

Young drivers and their friends who are passengers in the car need to understand that driving can be negatively affected after smoking cannabis or taking prescription drugs.

 

 

That being said, a significant number of parents DO understand that driving while on drugs is as dangerous as driving while impaired by alcohol.

81% of parents strongly/somewhat agree that driving while high on cannabis is as risky as drinking and driving.  

Parents can make a big difference in the lives of young drivers by staying informed about the issue and talking to their teens. Conversations about risky behaviour like driving while high and being a passenger in the car with a high driver are important to have on a regular basis.

Cannabis is the most common illegal drug used by youth. 

 

According to the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA), Canada’s youth are the top users of marijuana in the developed world according to a 2013 UNICEF Office of Research report.

Although there has been a decrease in marijuana use among youth in recent years, marijuana remains the most commonly used drug among Canadian youth, 15 to 24 years of age.

The effects of Cannabis on driving:

Cannabis significantly affects the skills necessary for driving.  Cannabis causes euphoria, slowed thinking, confusion, impaired memory and learning, increased heart rate and anxiety. These effects are felt within minutes, peak after about half an hour and can last up to two hours.⁹

Research shows that impairment increases significantly when marijuana use is combined with alcohol.

Driving while on cannabis demonstrates slowed thinking, which delays reaction time to important events occurring on the road.   It also distorts time and distance perception, making it difficult for the driver to navigate turns into oncoming traffic. Concentration and attention span are also decreased, increasing the likelihood that the driver will be distracted from watching the road. The crash rate of cannabis users can be anywhere from two to six times higher than sober drivers, depending on duration and quantity of the drug.

Considerable evidence from both real and simulated driving studies indicates that marijuana can negatively affect a driver’s attentiveness, perception of time and speed, and ability to draw on information obtained from past experiences.

Cannabis is relatively easy to get and many young people feel it is less likely they will get arrested for driving high because a breathalyzer cannot detect it.¹⁰ These factors combine to make cannabis the most likely drug to be in the body of young drivers while driving.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The list of  hard, illegal drugs includes hallucinogens, ecstasy, cocaine, and LSD, Methamphetamine, crack, heroin and crystal meth.

All of these cause various effects such as hallucinations, impulsivity, irritability, dizziness, anxiety, loss of coordination, and a false sense of alertness.

The effects of illegal drugs on driving:

Cocaine is the most common illegal drug found in fatally injured drivers next to cannabis.  It is associated with speeding, losing control of the vehicle, making unsafe turns in front of other vehicles, aggressive driving and inattentive driving.¹¹

Those who drive under the influence of cocaine are two to ten times more likely to crash than an unimpaired driver. ¹²

Prescription drugs are medications like painkillers, depressants or stimulants, that should never be taken without a prescription from a doctor and used under medical supervision, however, they are often being abused.

Teenagers are taking these drugs from their own medicine cabinets at home to experiment with,  without knowing the potential harm they can cause, including allergic reactions and overdoses, both leading to death.   Examples include benzodiazepine, rohypnol, oxycotin, attention deficit disorder pills and sedatives.

The effects of prescription drugs on driving:

The effects of specific drugs differ depending on how they act in the brain, but all impair faculties necessary for the safe operation of a vehicle. These faculties include motor skills, balance and coordination, perception, attention, reaction time, and judgment. These drugs cause feelings of euphoria, drowsiness, and relaxation and decrease the sensation of pain.

As parents, we know it's not always easy to talk to your teenagers, but it is important that you do.
Your children need to learn about the consequences of drug and alcohol use from you, the parent. Frequent family discussions go a long way to preventing drug abuse by kids.
Need a few pointers on how to get the conversation going?
Click Here>>

You do make a difference! Research shows that just by talking to your kids about drugs, you can reduce trial by up to 50%.  More>>

There's still a lot of confusion about Marijuana and its effects on the developing brains of young people. Click Here>> and get to know the facts.

Get expert advice on a number of hard-to-handle issues all parents face at one time or another. More>>

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