Assessing Drunk Driving Trends in Canada

Understanding the dynamics of impaired driving is pivotal in promoting road safety and saving lives. In this comprehensive exploration, we delve into the latest data on impaired driving in Canada for the year 2019, unearthing insights into its various facets, including trends, legislative impacts, regional variations, and demographic characteristics. These findings provide valuable context for efforts to combat impaired driving and enhance the safety of our roadways.

• In 2019, the police-reported impaired driving rate witnessed a notable 19% increase compared to the previous year, effectively ending a downward trend that had persisted since 2011.
• This shift was influenced by a series of legislative measures introduced in 2018 to address drug-impaired driving. In 2019, law enforcement reported 6,453 incidents of drug-impaired driving, constituting 8% of all impaired driving cases and reflecting a substantial 43% surge from 2018. Meanwhile, alcohol-impaired driving, also affected by new legislative measures, experienced a 15% increase in 2019.
• Despite these fluctuations, it’s noteworthy that the rate of impaired driving resulting in fatalities reached its lowest point since data collection commenced, marking a substantial 38% reduction from 2018. Conversely, the rate of impaired driving leading to bodily harm witnessed a slight uptick (+4%).
• When analyzing impaired driving rates among the provinces, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador reported the highest rates in 2019, whereas Ontario, Quebec, and Manitoba had the lowest rates.
• Among the census metropolitan areas, Moncton, Abbotsford–Mission, and Lethbridge recorded the highest rates of impaired driving, while Kingston, Toronto, and Winnipeg reported the lowest rates.
• Alcohol-impaired driving exhibited peaks on weekends and during late evenings. In contrast, the rate of drug-impaired driving showed minimal variation throughout the day, with police reporting nearly as many incidents between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. as between 11:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m.
• Impaired drivers are most frequently men and young adults, yet it is notable that among these demographics, alcohol-impaired driving witnessed the most significant decrease, whereas drug-impaired driving showed the least increase. According to police-reported data, impaired driving resulted in the loss of as many as 155 lives in Canada in 2019 (comprising 88 impaired drivers and 67 other road users), and it caused injuries to 540 individuals. For context, when excluding homicide, all other criminal offenses resulting in death accounted for 108 casualties in 2019.

Sources: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2021001/article/00012-eng.htm