Cannabis Perceived as Less Dangerous Than Liquor When it Comes to Driving
Traffic Safety Pulse News
A new study from the Canadian Automobile Association [CAA] shows many young drivers aged 18 to 34 feel they’re better able to drive after consuming cannabis than alcohol.
Eighty-nine percent said they wouldn’t get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol, while only 66 percent said they would do the same after consuming cannabis.
According to a recent Statistics Canada report, roughly one in seven drivers with valid licenses reported driving within two hours of consuming cannabis. The study showed that people who smoke cannabis regularly were nine times more likely to drive than those who didn’t. This is all part of a larger safety picture that police are cautioning drivers to take note of.
“People think that they’re okay to drive in certain situations, there’s a huge risk to underestimating how that affects your body. A huge risk to yourself, to other people,” Nova Scotia Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) spokesperson Cpl. Jennifer Clarke.
This December, new driving laws in Canada were implemented giving police officers a wider range of authority when it comes to detecting whether someone is driving under the influence. A new screening device called the Dräger DrugTest 5000, which uses saliva to test for seven types of drugs, is also in the hands of Nova Scotia RCMP.
