IMPAIRED DRIVING BY DRUGS CONTINUES TO INCREASE

More drivers in British Columbia are a danger to all road users by
driving impaired after using drugs, according to the Canadian Centre
on Substance Abuse.

The centre released its Alcohol and Drug Use Among Drivers: British Columbia
Roadside Survey for 2008, showing fewer people driving after drinking, but
more doing so after taking drugs.

Allan Lamb, BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation's executive director, is
particularly concerned young drivers, who act responsibly when it
comes to combining alcohol and driving, have no idea they could become
too impaired to drive after smoking marijuana, using cocaine or taking
their drug of choice.

"Aside from the disbelief about impairment by drug use, there are
drivers out there who don't think that the police can detect this kind
of impairment, or that the police can even do anything about it," said
Lamb.

"Well, they are wrong."

In fact there are currently more than 1,700 police officers in B.C.
trained to recognize drug impairment in drivers.

According to Terry Smith, chief coroner for B.C. statistics are
indicating an increased presence of more than one drug in the system
of drivers killed in fatal motor vehicle crashes.

"Among drivers, taking more than one drug at a time may actually be as
common as single-drug use is," said Smith.

Lamb said he would hate to see drivers exchange one form of impairment
for another.

"Responsibility is really the issue and putting the lives of other
road users at risk is simply irresponsible," he said.