Road Safety

Cannabis-impaired driving.

With cannabis now being legal, CAA is committed to raising awareness about its impact on road safety.

Effects of cannabis while driving.

The most common misconceptions out there are that cannabis doesn’t affect your driving or that it can actually make you a better driver. The reality is that drivers who use cannabis are at an increased risk of getting into a motor vehicle collision.

Cannabis is second only to alcohol as the drug most frequently found among drivers involved in crashes and drivers charged with impaired driving. It is also the drug most frequently mixed with alcohol usage in vehicle crashes.

Driving while under the influence of cannabis affects your:

Coordination

Reaction time

Ability to pay attention

Decision-making abilities

Ability to judge distances

Penalties for impaired driving.

In Ontario, it is illegal to operate any type of motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. This applies to all types of motor vehicles, including cars, trucks, boats, snowmobiles and off-road vehicles.

As of July 1, 2018, a zero-tolerance approach for alcohol and cannabis took effect for young, novice and commercial drivers.

Learn More

CAA’s #DontDriveHigh campaign reinforces that smoking cannabis can impair motor skills, reaction time, perception and judgement. Our message is simple – Don’t drive high.

Learn More

Watch the latest videos.

Addressing misconceptions around impaired driving in Ontario.

Sgt. Kerry Schmidt of the OPP and Teresa Di Felice of CAASCO discuss impaired driving laws and roadside testing for cannabis.

Straight facts on cannabis and driving.

Sgt. Kerry Schmidt of the OPP and Teresa Di Felice of CAA SCO discuss the effects of cannabis on driving skills.

Get home safely – an open conversation on driving while high.

Sgt. Kerry Schmidt of the OPP and Teresa Di Felice of CAASCO discuss myths and dangers of driving under the influence of cannabis.

Plan a safe way home.

Many illegal and prescription drugs can impair a person’s capacity for driving by reducing the ability to divide attention and allocate concentration. It can also result in poor time and space management. Make sure you’re prepared with alternate ways to get home.

You have options: