Pubdate: Fri, 12 Dec 2008 Source: North Shore News (CN BC) Copyright: 2008 North Shore News Contact: http://www.nsnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/311 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?224 (Cannabis and Driving) DRIVING AND DRUGS A DEADLY COMBINATION The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse has released the preliminary findings of its recent survey on drug and alcohol use among drivers. The 2008 British Columbia Roadside Survey found that while fewer people were driving after drinking, more drivers tested positive for drugs: 10.4 per cent of nighttime drivers showed evidence of drug use, while 8.1 per cent of drivers tested positive for alcohol and 16.9 per cent tested positive for drugs, alcohol or both, according to a release from the BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation. "While alcohol impaired driving appears to be on the down curve at this time of year, it is astounding that drug impaired driving seems to be taking its place," said Allan Lamb, executive director of the BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation. "There is a perception that drugs, especially marijuana and prescription medications, have little or no effect on driver performance. That is simply not true." In 2005, 108 people were injured or killed in B.C. in collisions where the driver's ability was impaired by a drug, according to police reports. Marijuana affects a person's concentration, attention-span, alertness, hand-eye coordination, time and distance perception, slows reaction time and impacts a range of other driving related skills required to respond to unexpected situations, according to the BCAA Traffic safety Foundation. On July 2, 2008, Bill C-2 was announced and empowers Canadian police who suspect a driver of being impaired by any drug, illegal, prescription or over-the-counter, to demand the driver submit to a breathalyzer test, physical coordination tests and an assessment by a Drug Recognition Expert using the Drug Evaluation and Classification assessment along with a demand of bodily fluid samples (blood, saliva or urine). There are currently more than 1,100 officers in B.C. trained to recognize drug impairment in drivers. Officers with drug recognition training will now be present at road checks in communities around the province. The BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation is a non-profit registered charity working with families, communities and business partners to reduce the number and severity of traffic crashes and injuries in B.C. For more information visit www.BCAATSF.ca or call 604-298-5107. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin