Marijuana and Driving Don’t Mix

Did You Know

• After alcohol, marijuana is the most frequently found substance in people killed or injured in motor vehicle collisions.
• The percentage of drivers in grades 10 to 12 reporting cannabis and driving is higher than the percentage reporting drinking and driving.
• About 1 in 5 drivers in grades 10 to 12 reported driving a vehicle within one hour of using cannabis, at least once during the past year.
• About 22% of students in grades 7 to 12 reported being a passenger in a vehicle driven by someone who had been using drugs prior to driving.
• It is never a good idea to get a ride with someone who is impaired by alcohol, marijuana or any other drug.

The Effects of Marijuana on Driving

• Slower reaction times that impair the driver’s ability to respond to sudden events occurring outside the vehicle.
• A reduced or “drifting” attention span, and loss of short-term memory.
• An altered perception of time and space which affects a driver’s ability to judge distances while driving, so you’ll have a hard time staying in the lane and adjusting speed.

The Law
Effective July 2, 2008, the Criminal Code of Canada has been amended to include drugs in impaired driving charges.  There are specially trained police officers called Drug Recognition Experts who can assess whether or not you are under the influence of a substance and will take you through a 12 step process.  The amended law now makes it mandatory to provide a sample of fluid (blood, saliva or urine) for testing.  To refuse to provide the sample is an offence just as it is to refuse the breathalyzer.

For more information on drug-impaired driving, visit these sites:

Canadian Public Health Association, Pot and Driving Campaign:
http://www.potanddriving.cpha.ca/

Why Drive High?
http://www.hbcreative.com/whydrivehigh/