Drug Impairment & Distraction Cause Fatal Collisions in Canada

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The Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) has released Drug Use in Fatal Collisions | 2000 – 2020 and Distraction-Related Fatal Collisions | 2000-2020 with sponsorship from Desjardins. Both fact sheets examine the magnitude and trends associated with drugs and distraction, respectively, in motor vehicle fatalities in Canada from 2000 to 2020.

“According to TIRF’s National Fatality Database, the number of road fatalities involving at least one driver testing positive for drugs increased to 474 in 2020, up from 230 in 2000. Drugs included cannabis, illicit drugs, prescription drugs, and over-the-counter drugs,” shares Steve Brown, TIRF Research Associate & Data Collection. “It’s concerning that since 2013, there has been a higher percentage of drug-related crashes than those involving alcohol, distraction, or other factors.”

Among impaired drivers killed in road crashes between 2016 and 2020:

  • Males (52.9%) were slightly more likely to test positive for drugs than females (49.8%).
  • Almost three in five drivers (58.1%) aged 20-34 years tested positive for drugs as opposed to 46.5% of drivers aged 65 and older.
  • Prior to the legalization of recreational cannabis, 24% tested positive for this particular drug but 28.1% tested positive post-legalization.

“Data from TIRF’s National Fatality Database also show the number of crash fatalities in which at least one of driver was distracted decreased to 310 in 2020 from 458 in 2000,” says TIRF COO, Ward Vanlaar. “Despite this positive downward trend in distraction-related fatalities, progress is smaller in comparison to the general declining trend in all fatalities. This means more enforcement tools and technologies, as well as targeted educational approaches, are needed to achieve further reductions in distraction-related fatalities.”

Among drivers killed in distraction-related collisions between 2016 and 2020:

  • Females (18.2%) were more likely to be distracted than males (15.5%).
  • Younger drivers (23.1% of those aged 16-19 years) and older drivers (18.2% of those aged 65 years and older) were more likely to be distracted than drivers of other ages.
  • Commercial vehicle (heavy trucks and tractor-trailers) drivers were more likely to be distracted (23.9%) than drivers of other highway vehicles.

The trends described in these two fact sheets can help support communities and road safety stakeholders in tailoring enforcement and education initiatives to combat both drug-impaired and distracted driving based on these patterns. It’s important to note that further analysis is needed to determine whether these trends persist and how they may change in response to greater enforcement and new awareness campaigns.

Download the reports:

Fatality Database Disclaimer

Data from TIRF’s National Fatality Database may be subject to change as the closure of cases is ongoing. As such, there may be minor differences in this document compared to previous documents reporting on the same topic.