Traffic safety tips
Our traffic safety focus for July is Impaird Driving.
Be safe this summer. Be informed about the laws and how alcohol and cannabis use affect your ability to operate a motor vehicle.
Types of impaired driving:
- alcohol
- cannabis and other mind-altering drugs
- fatigue
- prescribed and over-the-counter medications
Did you know?
- Most casualty collisions involving alcohol happen on the weekends between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m.
- An average of 15 pedestrian-involved collisions happen during Stampede and 22 per cent of these collisions are downtown
- City-wide, hit and run incidents increase by about three per cent during Stampede
- City-wide, pedestrian collisions at non-intersection locations (i.e. midblock) increase by seven per cent during Stampede
- The risk of collision resulting in a fatality is 60 per cent higher during Stampede
Alcohol and driving
What affects your blood alcohol concentration (BAC)?
- your sex and weight
- an empty stomach
- medications
- your mood or fatigue level
- the rate of consumption
Some people can be impaired even after consuming a small amount of alcohol. It’s important to assess your ability to drive regardless of how much you consume.
Tips for vehicle drivers
Research has found that driving within several hours of consuming cannabis increases the risk of a crash that can result in injury or death. Cannabis is the most common drug found in drivers aged 16-19.
Effects of cannabis on driving can be less visible than those associated with alcohol, but they are every bit as impairing in their own way. Some of these effects include:
- Reduced ability to divide your attention between your speed, other traffic, pedestrians and weather
- Poor time and space management which slows down your reaction time if conditions change, such as a car stopping suddenly in front of you
Find a designated driver
An easy way to stay safe is to have a designated driver – someone who stays sober (doesn’t consume alcohol or drugs). There are also many taxi and ride share options in Calgary.
For more information, including penalties and blood concentration levels for alcohol and cannabis, visit Calgary Police Service.
