Cannabis use among impaired youth drivers has surged while alcohol impairment has declined, according to a recent Public Safety Canada report.
“The proportion of [drug-impaired driving] incidents reported by police has significantly increased relative to alcohol-impaired driving over time,” the report said. “This is likely due to a combination of factors including changes in the legislation.”
Drivers affected by cannabis tend to drive faster, weave more frequently, and exhibit slower reaction times, the report said.
Youth Driving Offences
The impact of cannabis legalization on youth driving offences was another focus in the Public Safety Canada report, which cited studies from the Canadian Centre for Substance Use and Addiction and Statistics Canada.It found that driving-while-impaired charges, including impairments related to all drugs and alcohol, had “increased significantly after cannabis legalization.” In 2015, Canada saw 2,549 impaired driving charges, a number that escalated dramatically to 11,958 charges by 2019—an increase of 369 percent.
The surge in charges varied across provinces and territories post-legalization. Ontario led with a 1,342 percent increase—from 439 cases in 2015 to 6,334 cases in 2019. Nova Scotia and Alberta witnessed increases ranging from 200 to 500 percent.
Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, and Manitoba experienced increases of less than 100 percent, while Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, and the Northwest Territories saw rates rise between 100 and 200 percent.
Researchers noted that while youth aged 12-17 accounted for less than 3 percent of impaired driving charges overall, they also experienced a notable increase post-legalization. In 2015, 54 charges were laid against young offenders, rising to 127 by 2019—a 135 percent increase. Comparatively, the increase for young adults aged 18–24 was higher, at 258 percent.