In Alberta, impaired driving includes driving while under the influence of both legal and illegal drugs such as marijuana and doctor-prescribed painkillers.
“It comes as a surprise to many people that drunk driving and drugged driving carry the same criminal charges,” Alberta Minister of Transportation Brian Mason said in a release Aug. 5. “This is because both substances impair a driver’s ability and increase the likelihood of being involved in a collision.”
According to information posted on the provincial government’s website, drugs were found to be a factor in 40 per cent of all fatal collisions in 2012 in Canada, with Alberta slightly above this national average at 41 percent, or 82 drivers.
In contrast, 71 drivers in fatal collisions tested positive for alcohol in Canada in 2012, and 34 of those had both alcohol and drugs in their systems.
According to Alberta Transportation Public Affairs Officer Adam Johnson, the province does not compile statistics specific to Airdrie and area.
Johnson said the federal government’s plan to legalize marijuana is something the province is watching carefully, though how it will impact Alberta law is “impossible to speculate.
“We definitely want to stay away from making too much of a guess before that happens because we don’t know what any of that legalization is going to look like,” he said.
“Of course, we’re keeping a close eye on what is happening and we’ll be taking the necessary steps to ensure Alberta’s roads stay safe and we can address those concerns when they do come to fruition.”
A 2015 study conducted by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse into marijuana use by the drivers of motor vehicles found driving requires a number of skills – including reaction time, concentration and visual function – which are negatively impacted by the drug. Individuals driving while under the influence of marijuana are more likely to speed, follow the vehicle in front of them too closely and have trouble staying in their own lane, according to the study.
The Calgary Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Canada, which also oversaw the Airdrie area, originally campaigned to make people aware of the dangers of drunk driving but has changed that to the broader concept of impaired driving, including drug impaired driving, according to Denise Dubyc, one of the founding members of the Chapter and former Board member.
Dubyc said the organization has concerns about the federal government’s plan to legalize marijuana.
“As the legalization is perhaps coming along for marijuana, we are imploring the government to be prepared ahead of time for the impaired driving that will ensue with drugs,” she said.
Dubyc said MADD has been meeting with both the federal and provincial governments, which included asking for a legal limit to be introduced for drug impaired driving and a mechanism for testing for impairment by police.
“(Police) may know someone is high or impaired by drugs, however they need some way to measure it. We’re promoting that saliva testing be the way to go for that first roadside testing,” she said.
“We’ve been meeting with the federal government and the provincial governments to educate them about what we know about drug impaired driving, and what we think needs to happen before things get (approved),” she said. “Let’s respond rather than react.”
