A third of young cannabis-using drivers in Ontario reported driving under the influence, with 42% planning to do so again | Research

The takeaway

Among 426 young Ontario drivers, 33.3% reported past cannabis-impaired driving and 42% indicated at least a slight chance of doing so in the next year, with past behavior and low moral awareness as key predictors.

Driving safety educators, youth substance use prevention professionals, policymakers

33.3% reported past DUIC and 42% intended to drive cannabis-impaired again

What the researchers found

33.3% of respondents reported past DUIC and 42% indicated future DUIC intention. Six predictors of DUIC intention emerged: past DUIC incidence, perceived conviction penalty rate, moral awareness, perceived dangerousness, minor accident risk perception, and vicarious punishment avoidance.

Why it matters

The high prevalence of both past and intended DUIC among young drivers, combined with identifiable attitudinal predictors, provides clear targets for prevention programs.

The numbers in context

426 respondents; 52.6% female; 83.6% had used cannabis; 69.5% past-year use; 33.3% reported DUIC; 42% intended future DUIC; 6 significant predictors identified

How the study worked

Cross-sectional validated questionnaire based on general deterrence and prevention theory, administered to 426 young drivers (ages 16-24) in Ontario, Canada. Ordinal regression examined predictors of DUIC intention.

What this study cannot tell us

Self-selected sample of young drivers, Ontario-specific, cross-sectional design, self-reported DUIC which may be underreported, questionnaire validation was part of the same study.

How to read the evidence

Validated questionnaire study with robust regression analysis in a targeted population

When this study was published

Published in 2021 from Ontario, Canada, after cannabis legalization.

The bigger picture

The finding that moral awareness and perceived dangerousness predict DUIC intention suggests that prevention programs emphasizing personal responsibility and real crash risk may be more effective than fear-based approaches focused solely on legal consequences.

Questions still open

Would interventions targeting these six predictors actually reduce DUIC behavior? Has legalization changed any of these attitudinal predictors? Are there effective brief interventions for DUIC prevention?

Common questions

How common is cannabis-impaired driving among young people?

In this Ontario study of 426 young drivers, a third had driven under the influence of cannabis, and 42% indicated they would likely do so again in the next year.

What makes young people drive after using cannabis?

The strongest predictors were having done it before, low moral concern about the behavior, low perception of danger, and not believing they would be caught and penalized.

Read the original research

Young drivers' determinants of driving under the influence of cannabis: Findings from the Youth Cannabis and Driving Survey (YouCanDS).

Journal of safety research, 78, 229-241

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Colonna, Robert; Hand, Carri L; Holmes, Jeffrey D; Alvarez, Liliana. (2021). Young drivers' determinants of driving under the influence of cannabis: Findings from the Youth Cannabis and Driving Survey (YouCanDS).. Journal of safety research, 78, 229-241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2021.05.001