Prescription drugs

Tranquilizers, antidepressants, sleeping pills and similar drugs can affect your driving ability even if taken in the prescribed dosage. Accordingly, if you continue to drive while impaired by any medication, you can be charged with driving while impaired. This will result in the same consequences as if you were impaired by alcohol. Discuss the possible effects of any medication with your doctor or pharmacist.

Illegal drugs

Illicit drugs may cause hallucinations, hostility and aggressiveness in addition to dulling normal thought processes and slowing down eye-hand coordination.

Cannabis

Think you’re a better driver when you’re high? Think again. Use of cannabis affects reaction time and concentration and the ability to make safe decisions on the road. Research from a number of sources shows that drivers under the influence of cannabis are at a crash risk that is several times higher compared to sober drivers. This risk increases even more when cannabis and alcohol are combined, enhancing the impairing effects of both.

While cannabis is now legal to use in Canada, it is illegal to drive if you’re impaired by THC. It’s also illegal to:

• Consume cannabis in or on a vehicle while on a public roadway, whether the vehicle is in motion or not.
• Transport cannabis in or on a vehicle, unless stored in a secure compartment such as your vehicle’s trunk.

Drivers convicted of these offences will move down on the DSR scale.

For information contact:

Addictions Foundation of Manitoba
Northern Region: 1–866–291–7774
Western Region: 1–866–767–3838
Winnipeg Region: 1–866–638–2561
Website: afm.mb.ca
Email: library@afm.mb.ca
View: What are the Consequences?