A recent nationwide study has shown that Alberta drivers injured in crashes are more likely to test positive for substances causing impairment than the national average. Of note is the combination of alcohol and THC together, which is now definitively associated with a higher risk of crashing.
The findings come from a labour-intensive study examining blood samples from crash-injured drivers across Canada, including those treated at hospitals in Edmonton and Calgary. Jeff Brubacher, PhD, is the lead author of the study, which is being led by the University of British Columbia’s department of emergency medicine’s Canadian Drug Driving Study Research Group.
Blood samples from more than 10,000 injured drivers treated at 17 urban hospitals in eight provinces were tested between 2018 and 2023.
Nationally, the researchers found that 53.6% of these injured drivers tested positive for at least one impairing substance. But of the 2,113 injured Alberta drivers tested during the six-year study period, 57% tested positive for the same.
Nationwide, almost twice as many of the Albertan subjects tested positive for polysubstance use (more than one impairing substance) at 39% as compared to 21% testing positive elsewhere in Canada.
Differences by age group across Canada
Younger crash-injured drivers under the age of 30 are more likely to test positive for combinations with cannabis — alcohol and cannabis, depressants and cannabis, and stimulants like cocaine or amphetamines and cannabis.
For those injured in a crash over the age of 30, the culprits are more likely to be combinations with prescription meds — alcohol with depressants, stimulants with depressants, and opiates with depressants, Brubacher said.
Younger crash-injured drivers are more likely to use alcohol or recreational drugs, older drivers are more likely to use prescription sedatives and women are more likely to use prescription sedatives than alcohol or cannabis.
Drug use and driving in Alberta
Opiate and depressant numbers among crash-injured drivers are also little bit higher in Alberta.
In most provinces other than Alberta, cannabis impairment at 16.6% narrowly edged out alcohol impairment at 16% as the most commonly detected single substance. In most cases the cannabis level was not high enough to indicate impairment and increase crash risk. Brubacher suspects this to be an indicator of the length of time cannabis stays detectable in the system.
About 13% of Albertan drivers injured in collisions had used cocaine or amphetamines. Of those Albertans, about 14% also had more than 0.05 per cent blood alcohol content. Six per cent had more than two ng/mL of THC (from cannabis) in their bloodstream. More than two and less than five nanograms of THC per millilitre of blood is a summary charge that carries a maximum federal criminal penalty of up to a $1,000 fine.
Just over one-third of the Albertans, or 37%, had used opioids or depressants.
The combination of alcohol and THC showed a much higher risk of crashing, the study concluded.
Driving under the influence of anything is illegal
We all know that driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol is illegal, but certain prescribed and over-the-counter medications such as cold and allergy medicines, antidepressants, opioids, and sleep aids can also cause impairment. Be sure to always read labels carefully and consult with your pharmacist to be sure you should be behind the wheel. Even if the substance is completely legal, driving impaired while using it is not.
Cannabis limits behind the wheel
Drivers suspected of being criminally impaired through taking cannabis and driving will face an immediate 90-day suspension of their licence and an instant three-day seizure of their vehicle. They will also be required to take part in a one-year ignition interlock program as well as mandatory remedial education.
Levels of impairment are measured by blood-to-drug concentration limits. More than two and less than five nanograms of THC per millilitre of blood is a summary charge that carries a maximum federal criminal penalty of up to a $1,000 fine. Five nanograms of THC per millilitre of blood and above is an indictable offence that, if convicted, will result in a minimum $1,000 fine for a first offense, a mandatory 30 days imprisonment for a second offense and mandatory 120 days in jail for a third offense.
Alcohol limits behind the wheel
In all Canadian provinces, the maximum legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) for fully licensed drivers is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, or 0.08%. Driving with a BAC of 0.08% or higher is a federal criminal offense with severe penalties.
In Alberta, and most other Canadian jurisdictions, a BAC between 0.05% and 0.079% will also result in provincial impaired driving penalties.
Federal legislation authorizes police officers to request a breath test for BAC from any driver they lawfully stop without needing reasonable suspicion that the driver has consumed alcohol.
Regardless of sobriety, a driver who refuses to provide a breath sample can be criminally charged with refusal to provide a sample. This refusal is considered a criminal offense and may lead to both criminal charges and provincial penalties.
Polysubstance penalties
Being caught driving under the influence of both cannabis and alcohol carries severe penalties as well. It is an indictable offense to have 2.5 nanograms per millilitre or more of cannabis combined with 50 milligrams per 100 millilitres (0.05%) or more of alcohol in your system. Penalties increase for drivers at high levels of impairment who injure or kill while operating a vehicle, as well as for repeat offenders.
Impaired driving and your vehicle insurance
Impaired driving penalties differ according to levels of impairment, but the consequences are dire for each. At the very least, you will be subject to an immediate suspension of your driver’s licence, your vehicle will be seized and impounded, and you will have to pay a hefty fine. You may also be charged criminally, and the court has the jurisdiction to impose further penalties.
And the trouble continues even after you are able to drive again. An impaired driving conviction results in difficulty getting vehicle insurance in Alberta and across Canada. Drivers who have been convicted of serious offences are considered “high risk” and therefore difficult to insure, making vehicle insurance coverage prohibitively expensive for many who have been convicted. It is so expensive that many choose to stop driving completely.
Simply put, impaired driving is never worth the risk.
Have questions about your vehicle insurance coverage?
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