With last October's legislation to legalize cannabis, law enforcement officials have had to evolve a widespread strategy in determining drug impairment for motor vehicle operators. With Canada Road Safety Week, the Day 5 focus is drug-impaired driving; there is a renewed focus on the tools for prevention as well on the need for greater awareness.

In truth, drug-impaired driving has been an issue long before cannabis legalization. However, there are misconceptions about its use in motor vehicles under new laws. Simply put, just as in the case of alcohol, using or consuming any product that may lead to impairment while operating a motor vehicle is illegal.

As opposed to alcohol impairment which relies on breathalyzers to support enforcement, drug impairment is generally determined by a field sobriety test. RCMP Cst. Jeff Applegate elaborates, "In the Humboldt detachment, about 80 percent of the members are trained in standard field sobriety testing. We can conduct a roadside test with the driver of a vehicle to determine whether we believe they are impaired by drugs or not. The test measures motor skills among other things, and it's done roadside by the investigating member. At this point, the officer can determine whether they feel that the driver is too impaired to be operating their motor vehicle."

Applegate goes on to explain that if a determination of impairment is made, the offending individual is arrested and transported back to the detachment to undergo further testing with a Drug Recognition Expert. The determination of the testing by the DRE could then potentially lead to criminal charges. 

Technology to assist officers in roadside assessment is being rolled out in other jurisdictions and will eventually be available nationwide.

The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police points out that drug impairment is not just about marijuana and illegal drugs. While most Canadians are aware that labels on their prescription drugs and over-the-counter products caution against operating a motorized vehicle due to the possible side effects, most underestimate the risks and often do not heed the warnings. 

They also noted that one in four fatal road crashes involves individuals who test positive for drugs and that a drug-impaired driving offence occurs every three hours in Canada.

As Road Safety Week draws to a close, Day 6 will focus on aggressive driving.