It’s National Safe Driving Week (Dec. 1-7) and the Canada Safety Council (CSC) and Public Safety Canada (PSC) are reminding motorists of the dangers of getting behind the wheel of a vehicle while under the influence of marijuana.
“It’s a very dangerous idea to drive after consuming marijuana,” CSC president Jack Smith said in a news release.
“There’s often a comparison made between driving drunk and driving high. Too often, the question becomes which is more dangerous. The real question should be, why risk either in the first place?”
According to the news release, studies reveal Canadians are concerned with the possibility of further impaired drivers.
State Farm Insurance compiled research in 2016 that shows more than 60 per cent of respondents foresee an increase in impaired driving when marijuana is legalized next year.
Out of those same respondents, only one in 10 admitted to driving high – and 44 per cent of those who reported driving while high said it didn’t impact their ability to drive safely.
Marijuana, however, has several effects that make it unsafe to consume while driving, including reduced reaction time and an altered passage of time.
The CSC says the easiest solution is to avoid driving altogether if you’ve consumed marijuana, and if you must go somewhere, call a taxi or ask a friend for a ride.
