CAA releases study about driving high as Lethbridge police continue holiday checkstops

A study recently released by the Canadian Automobile Association found that a quarter of Canadians aged 18 to 34 admit to either driving high or having travelled in a vehicle with a high driver.

With the release of this report, Lethbridge police are continuing their initiative to catch and prevent people from driving under the influence during the busy holiday season.

The poll found while 86 per cent of younger Canadians understand the importance of making alternative travel plans after consuming alcohol, 70 per cent view it as significantly less important to do so after consuming cannabis.

“We also asked Canadians if they thought cannabis affected their driving, and younger Canadians, again aged 18 to 34, they were more likely to think that cannabis didn’t affect their driving at all or actually made them better drivers,” said Kristine D’Arbelles, manager of public affairs at CAA.

“There are already early studies that have come out that indicate cannabis does affect your ability to drive. In particular, it affects your reaction time.”

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One way Lethbridge police are cracking down on people driving under the influence of drugs is with holiday checkstops.

Police also reminded people that alternative options are always available.

Both law enforcement and the CAA say they will continue their work to reduce impaired driving through initiatives like public education campaigns and continued targeted enforcement.