Mothers Against Drunk Driving is raising the alarm after a survey suggested a shocking number of drivers are knowingly getting behind the wheel impaired.
Ipsos, which conducted the poll for MADD, asked Canadians 18 and over who had a valid driver's license a series of questions regarding their consumption of alcohol, cannabis, and other illicit drugs.
Among the 67 per cent who drank alcohol in the past month, one in ten admitted they drove drunk in the past six months. More than half said they had a passenger in the vehicle with them.
Of those who had used cannabis over the previous 30 days, 19 per cent said they drove while impaired in the past half-year, and seven out of ten said they were driving with passengers.
"A disturbing number of people are driving, knowing they are impaired by alcohol, cannabis, or an illicit drug," said MADD Canada CEO Andrew Murie. "It shows an alarming disregard, not only for the law, but for the safety of themselves, their passengers, and other road users."
Three out of ten people who confessed to using an un-prescribed drug said they had gotten behind the wheel. Of those respondents, a shocking 85 per cent were not alone in the vehicle.
Murie suggested the survey provides valuable data on the opioid crisis's impact on impaired driving.
"Over the past couple of years, we have seen more and more reports of drivers impaired by opioids," he said. "These survey results confirm that trend."
Among the reasons listed for driving impaired: they did not feel impaired, they did not have far to drive, and they believed they were being careful.
"It will not matter that you didn't feel impaired or didn't have far to go if you cause a crash that kills or injures someone," said MADD Canada National President Jaymie-Lyne Hancock.
The survey also suggested some Canadians still hold misperceptions about driving impaired by alcohol or by cannabis. It said one in ten think it is not a big deal after having a few drinks, smoking pot, or taking an illicit drug.
The survey was conducted between May 28 and June 8, 2021. A sample of 3,002 Canadians took part, and the poll is considered accurate to within +/- 2.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
