Why Impaired Driving and Cannabis Legalization was required in Canada?

Impaired Driving has become an inevitable issue for the Canadian Government. The recent studies show that some teenagers drive under the influence of Marijuana and Cannabis which sometimes risks their life as well as other lives. Therefore, the Canadian government is planning to legalize marijuana in Canada and has planned legal blood limits on THC, the active ingredient in cannabis, for automobile drivers. Although the introduction of roadside testing and set limits is precious, it is worth saying that prevention is better than cure.

Under the impaired driving laws in the Criminal Code, $9.6 million public awareness campaign has been launched by Health Canada in order to educate youth, teens and young adults about the detrimental effects of using marijuana. Advertisement is also the part of the campaign, which describes the related risk of driving under the influence of marijuana.

According to governmental studies:

• Half of 16-24 age groups think that drive while under the influence of marijuana is more socially acceptable than alcohol.
• 15% of high school age children and one in three Canadians have stated that they have been in an automobile driven by somebody under the influence of marijuana.
• Drug-impaired driving causes more Canadians deaths in car crashes than alcohol-impaired driving.
• In 2016, drug-impaired driving offences have increased by 38% in Ontario. In 2013, cannabis accounted for 49% among seven categories of drugs in all fatally-injured drivers of highway vehicles in Canada.
• 16-24 age group drivers account for the mass of driving fatalities, with almost 30% being associated to drug-impaired driving.

Recently, the Government of Ontario announced some new impaired driving rules, including novice drivers, zero tolerance for anyone under 21 years old and commercial drivers. New legal limits on THC in the body have been planned for the Criminal Code for all other drivers. The Saliva tests can be done on probable drivers to examine the presence of THC in their body, and police would be allowed to need a blood sample to confirm the levels of THC in the driver. According to impaired driving rules, the person can be punished with penalty or imprisonment.

Personal injury lawyer in Ottawa believes that prevention is much better than cure; however, if you get personal injury in an accident you can contact us. Our main focus is on catastrophic injuries such as spinal cord and brain injuries and wrongful deaths; however, we will direct and represent you in any personal injury case.