Recently, CAA launched a new public education campaign entitled, Don’t Drive High. The campaign reinforces that smoking cannabis can impair motor skills, reaction time, perception and judgment.

The program is geared towards young drivers to remind them that even though cannabis is legal, it’s not harmless, especially in situations where reaction time, motor skills and judgment are critical and that driving high is driving impaired.

“Just because you think you may be able to drive while high, doesn’t mean you should,” said Teresa Di Felice, assistant vice president, government relations, CAA SCO. “It’s important to remember that if you are going to consume alcohol or cannabis, find an alternative to driving so you can arrive where you’re going safely.”

CAA’s research shows that there is a gap in awareness of the effects of using cannabis, specifically, in young men. Men aged 25 to 34 are the most likely to drive under the influence of cannabis. Many are novice drivers who live in busy, urban areas. “Our research shows that many Ontario drivers believe that there is a strong need for public education around cannabis legislation” says Teresa Di Felice. Our campaign aims to educate young drivers with fun yet thought-provoking videos.”

The campaign kickoff took place at SPiN Toronto. Participants got to test their reaction time playing ping pong while using goggles that simulated the effect of what it would be like to play while impaired by cannabis .

As long-standing advocates for road safety, CAA is monitoring the impact of cannabis legalization across the province. To learn more about cannabis-impaired driving, visit the CAA Advocacy cannabis education hub.