A British Columbia study was recently conducted to determine the percentage of drivers who use marijuana before operating a motor vehicle. Drivers in Vancouver, Saanich, Abbotsford, Prince George and Kelowna were tested orally between the hours of 9pm and 3am. Of the nearly 3000 drivers who participated in the study, more than 200 tested positive for the presence of drugs in their system.
I don’t think people usually associate impaired driving with drug use. What more readily comes to mind is the use of alcohol and its effects on the ability to drive. But the Criminal Code provides that impairment can be either by alcohol or by a drug. With the potential for over 7% of drivers in British Columbia to be impaired by drug use, this raises some serious concerns.
Allan Lamb, the Traffic Safety Foundation executive director for the British Columbia Automobile Association, seems to suggest that the problem is limited to young people. He states that young people frequently tell him that they would not drive after drinking, but think nothing of lighting up a joint and driving.
Another recent study suggested that 33% of drivers who were killed in motor vehicle accidents tested positive for drugs. This number is surprisingly high, given the fact that 37% of those killed test positive for alcohol.
One wonders if more rigorous screening for the presence of drugs in drivers is on the way, given this new information. I’m interested to see what kind of follow-up will be done by the Legislature as a result of this new information, if any. The Province has recently attempted to stiffen the laws relating to drinking and driving, so it is possible that legislation may be on the way to impose immediate penalties against those who use drugs before driving. It’s impossible to say. Only time will tell.