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Driving impaired is defined as "the act or crime of driving a vehicle while affected by alcohol or drugs." (“Merriam-Webster Dictionary”)

In my own words: Driving impaired is when someone operates a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

CRAAP check: I know this is a credible source because it is from the Miriam-Webster dictionary, a dictionary company that was established in 1828.

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"Impaired driving is a major public safety issue in Canada. Despite significant progress in recent decades, it remains one of the leading criminal causes of death in Canada. According to police-reported data, impaired driving killed as many as 155 people in Canada in 2019 (88 impaired drivers and 67 other road users) and injured 540." (Perreault)

In my own words: Driving impaired is a major issue in Canada because most people don't want to pay $20-$30 for a cab ride home they would rather risk their lives and the lives of the other drivers on road. Some small towns have no access to cabs. Going out for drinks and driving home can lead to unwanted tragic accidents.

CRAAP check: The source used here is Statistics Canada, it is the national statistical office. They analyze to make sure Canadians have the correct information on Canada's economy, society, and environment. The date of the article is July 15/2021.

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Breakenridge, Rob. “COMMENTARY: Canada’s New Impaired Driving Law Goes Way Too Far.” 770 CHQR, Global News, 12 Jan. 2019, globalnews.ca/news/4838386/commentary-canadas-new-impaired-driving-law-goes-way-too-far/.

fraser@madd.ca. “Enforcement.” MADD Canada, 2021, madd.ca/pages/impaired-driving/stopping-impaired-driving/enforcement/.

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“Impaired Driving | Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction.” Ccsa.ca, 2020, www.ccsa.ca/impaired-driving.

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“Merriam-Webster Dictionary.” Merriam-Webster.com, 2022, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/DUI.

Perreault, Samuel. “Using Data from the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey (UCR), This Juristat Article Presents Data on Police-Reported Impaired Driving, Including Data Specific to Drug-Impaired Driving. More Precisely, It Examines the Trends of Impaired Driving in Canada, the Provinces and Territories and in Census Metropolitan Areas. Characteristics of Impaired Driving, such as Age and Sex of Accused Persons and Time of the Day or Time of the Year When Those Incidents Occur, Are Also Examined. This Juristat Article Also Presents Data on Impaired Driving Cases Completed by Criminal Courts, Including Comparisons between Alcohol and Drug-Impaired Cases.” Statcan.gc.ca, Government of Canada, Statistics Canada, 15 July 2021, www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2021001/article/00012-eng.htm.

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"Imagine this scenario: you’ve come home after a long, stressful day and head straight for your refrigerator or liquor cabinet and knock back a few beers or whiskeys over the next hour or two to calm your nerves. Suddenly, there’s a knock at the door. It’s the police, saying they’d received a complaint about an erratic driver and they want you to blow into a breathalyzer. What would your reaction be? Outrage? all of that may quickly evolve into dread once you realize that a positive reading on the breathalyzer could mean arrest and a charge of impaired driving laid, even though your impairment came after your driving and not the other way around." Does all of this sound farfetched? Sadly it’s not — in fact, it’s the new legal reality in Canada." (Breakenridge)

In my own words: People's perspectives on DUIs have changed over the years, rather than turning a blind eye more people are speaking out against impaired drivers, also the government seems to be giving the police more outrageous authority.

CRAAP check: This article is from Global News's website and was published in 2019.

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"Drug-impaired driving is also a concern. According to a cannabis use and driving report, from 2000 to 2010, 16.6% of fatally injured drivers in Canada tested positive for cannabis." (“Impaired Driving | Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction”)

In my own words: Most people hear DUI and think it only means driving drunk but that is not the case, driving high on drugs is another issue in Canada, and is also classified as driving impaired. The drug problem Canada faces can also be linked with impaired driving accidents. I connect because I have friends who struggle with drug addictions.

CRAAP check:  Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) is a non-governmental organization its purpose is to provide national leadership on substance use and to advance solutions to address alcohol and other drug-related issues. CCSA was created by parliament. This article was published in 2020.

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"The sobriety checkpoint is one of the primary tools which police use to detect impaired drivers. Police set up checkpoints on public roadways and stop all vehicles coming through, enabling the screening of large numbers of drivers." (fraser@madd.ca)

In my own words: Police can use more stop checks, Uber is becoming more popular, rather than having a meter that keeps charging you like a taxi, Uber has their own flat rates and you pay it beforehand. More lounges are offering safe ride home options.

CRAAP check: Madd is the leading anti-impaired driving organization in Canada, they have been voluntarily dealing with impaired driving issues since 1989. The information was updated in 2021.