Please note that the driving school instructor may use a different presentation to teach this module.

Alcohol and Drugs

PHASE 3 SEMI-GUIDED DRIVING 1

 Outline of Module 10

• Activity: Consequences for the Driver and for Others

• Responsible Strategies
• Impaired? Don’t Drive!
• What Happens to Alcohol in the Body
• Effects of Alcohol and Drugs on Driving
• Alcohol, Drugs and the Road Safety Record
• Legal, Financial, Social and Family Consequences

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS 2

 Targeted Competencies

• Identifying the factors that increase risk while driving

• Identifying the legal framework and the rules of courtesy that make
safe, cooperative and responsible driving possible

• Deciding to drive or not to drive

• Driving responsibly

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS 3

 Activity: Consequences for the Driver
and for Others
Instructions (in teams)
• Appoint a spokesperson to report back to all participants.

• On the basis of your current knowledge, make a detailed list of the

consequences that driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs could have
on you and others.

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 To Avoid the Consequences,
Adopt Responsible Strategies!
• If you drink or take drugs, don’t drive.
• Stay put, sleep at a friend’s place, etc.
• Take a taxi, use a drive-home service.
• Get a ride with a driver who has not been drinking (designated driver).
• Use public transit.
• If you have to drive, don’t drink or take drugs.
• Plan your trips ahead of time (your judgment becomes clouded once
you start drinking or taking drugs, and you no longer make responsible
decisions).
• If you take medication:
• Follow the recommendations of the physician or pharmacist.
• Read the packaging for information on the product’s compatibility
with driving.
ALCOHOL AND DRUGS 5
 Driving = A Complex Task

Alcohol Drugs Medication

Mental state Fatigue Health

Distractions
problems

Impaired

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 Impaired? Don’t Drive!
All of the factors below accentuate the
effects of alcohol and drugs!

• Mental state: Stress, emotions

(aggressiveness, broken heart,
worries, etc.)

• Fatigue: Busy schedule (school, Risk of a collision

work, leisure activities, outings,
driving lessons, etc.), drowsiness at
the wheel

• State of health: Vision problems,

medication, etc.

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 What Happens to Alcohol in the Body
Absorption of alcohol

• Alcohol is primarily absorbed by the intestine.

• Alcohol absorption is determined by:

– the amount you drink
– how fast you drink
– whether you’ve eaten
– certain biological particularities
– psychological state: stress, fatigue, etc.

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 What Happens to Alcohol in the Body
Alcohol distribution
• Alcohol is distributed throughout the body’s tissues.

• Once it reaches the brain, it acts on the

central nervous system (where decisions
are made and coordination
is controlled).

• Alcohol distribution is determined in

particular by:
– the concentration of alcohol in the blood
– body weight and body fat percentage
ALCOHOL AND DRUGS 9
 What Happens to Alcohol in the Body

Elimination of alcohol
• The liver alone eliminates more than 90% of alcohol in the body;
the kidneys, lungs and sweat do the rest.
• Alcohol is eliminated by the body much more
slowly than it is absorbed:
± 15 mg of alcohol/hr = 1 beer, 1 glass
of wine or 1 glass of spirits

Only time can reduce the amount

of alcohol in the blood!

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 Effects of Alcohol on Driving

Faculties affected from the very first drink

0.02%

Typical Effects Effects on Driving

• Some loss of judgment • Decline in visual functions (notably the
• Relaxation ability to rapidly track a moving target)
• Feeling slightly warmer • Decline in the ability to perform two
• Altered mood tasks at the same time (divided
attention)

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

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 Effects of Alcohol on Driving

Driving ability may be affected before the

0.05%
legal limit is reached.

Typical Effects Effects on Driving

• Impaired judgment • Reduced coordination
• Lowered alertness • Reduced ability to track moving objects
• Release of inhibitions • Difficulty steering
• Reduced ability to react to emergency
situations

Source: NHTSA

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS 12

 Effects of Alcohol on Driving

0.08%

Typical Effects Effects on Driving

• Lower muscle coordination • Concentration difficulties
(balance, speech, vision, reaction • Short-term memory loss
time and hearing) • Speed control problems
• Judgment, self-control, reasoning • Reduced information processing
and memory are impaired capacity (e.g. noticing signs and
signals, visual scanning)
• Impaired perception
Source: NHTSA

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 Reaction Time
• Alcohol increases reaction time by half a second—time enough
to cause a collision.

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Alcohol and the Risk of a Fatal Accident

• The risk of an accident

increases as the blood alcohol
concentration rises.
• The risk of an accident is even
higher with young drivers:
• x 2 for concentrations between
0.05 and 0.08
• x 5 for concentrations between
0.08 and 0.10

Source: Mayhew et al., "Youth, Alcohol and Relative Risk of Crash Involvement", TIRF, 1986

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Drinking and Driving: One of the Leading Causes
of Death and Injury on the Road
Every year alcohol-related accidents cause on average:

– 110 fatalities
– 260 cases of severe injury
– 1,800 cases of mild injury

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS 16

 Effects of Drugs on Driving

• Drugs affect the driver’s faculties

– Reflexes, concentration, vision, reaction time, coordination,
etc.
– Despite what some might believe, there are no drugs that
improve driving ability.
– The effects of drugs vary greatly depending on:
• the type of drug taken
• the individual who took the drug
• the context in which the drug was taken

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 Cannabis
• Cannabis is by far the most commonly used drug in Québec
and the rest of Canada.
• Effects on the brain: decreased alertness and concentration,
slower reflexes, poor coordination, longer reaction times, and
impaired judgment.
• Effects on driving: failure to notice road signs and exits,
difficulty staying in the centre of the lane, difficulty keeping a
constant speed.
• Cannabis + alcohol = a very dangerous combination! The
effects of cannabis and alcohol compound each other.
Cannabis is not an alternative to drinking for designated drivers.

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 Effects of Medication on Driving

• Certain medications affect a driver’s faculties.

– Prescribed by a physician or sold over the counter
– Some medications for allergies, colds, nausea, pain, coughs
etc. may reduce your intellectual and physical faculties.
• Attention, vision, behaviour and balance problems,
drowsiness, etc.
– Consult a physician or pharmacist and read the information
on the product to find out about the effects on driving.

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 Two Laws Apply Against Drinking,
Drugs and Driving:

Criminal Code
Highway Safety Code

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS 20

 Criminal Code
• Prohibits driving with a blood alcohol concentration above
80 mg/100 ml of blood (0.08)

• Prohibits driving when one’s ability to operate a vehicle is

impaired by alcohol or drugs

• Prohibits having the care or control of a vehicle in situations

1 and 2

• Stipulates that refusing to obey a peace officer’s orders (e.g.

to provide a breath sample) constitutes an offence

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 Criminal Code
• Prohibits driving with drugs in the bloodstream. For example, a
driver could face criminal charges if the level of cannabis (THC)
is above the following:
– 2 nanograms of THC per millilitre of blood
– 5 nanograms of THC per millilitre of blood
– 2.5 nanograms of THC per millilitre of blood,
combined with a blood alcohol concentration equal to
or above 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of
blood
• For other types of drugs, any detectable amount is enough to
be charged.

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 Driving with a Blood Alcohol
Concentration > 0.08
• You’re over the legal limit!

– If a police officer pulls you over and suspects that you’ve been drinking,
the officer may ask you to take a breath test with an approved screening
device (ASD).

– Depending on the ASD results, you may be taken to the police station for
a breath test, which will be analyzed with an approved instrument. The
results will be admissible as evidence.

You could be charged with driving with a blood alcohol concentration above
80 mg/100 ml of blood (0.08).

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 Alcohol- or Drug-Impaired Driving
• You’re not over the legal limit

– But your blood alcohol concentration is 0.04 or you have taken

medication, and when a police officer pulls you over, you have trouble
talking, showing him your driver’s licence, walking properly, and so forth.

You could be charged with impaired driving even if you’re below 0.08

– All it takes is for a police officer to see that your driving ability is impaired.
– Under the Criminal Code, the police officer is authorized to ask you to
undergo a physical coordination test in order to determine whether you
have taken drugs.
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 Care or Control of a Vehicle
• You’re not driving

– But you’re in the driver’s seat or the police officer sees that you intend to
drive.

You could be charged with having the care or control of a vehicle with
a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or while impaired.

– You’ll have the burden of proving to the judge that you did not want to
drive or could not drive.

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 Refusing to Obey an Order

• You refuse to obey a peace officer’s order

– If you don’t have a reasonable excuse and you refuse to take a breath
test or undergo a physical coordination test, etc.

You could be charged with refusing to obey an order.

– Refusing to obey an order results in the stiffest penalties and measures

provided for under the Highway Safety Code (the equivalent of a
repeat offence or a blood alcohol concentration of 0.16).

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Consequences of Drinking, Drugs and Driving

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS 27

 Applicable Penalties and Measures
Under the Criminal Code Under the Highway Safety Code
Immediately
After conviction • 90-day driver’s licence suspension
• Fine of $1,000, in addition to • Vehicle seized and impounded for 30
other costs days (if blood alcohol concentration is
• Driving prohibition for at least above 0.16 or for any repeat offence)
one year
After conviction
• Criminal record
• Driver’s licence revocation (1, 3 or 5
• Prison (in the event of a years, depending on the situation)
repeat offence, injury or
death) • Assessment of behaviour relative to
alcohol and drugs
• Alcofrein session (depending on the
situation)
• Mandatory alcohol ignition interlock
device (depending on the situation)

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 Zero-Alcohol Rule

During the learning period (learner’s licence and probationary licence), drivers
are subject to the zero-alcohol rule, which means they cannot drive if there is
the slightest trace of alcohol in their body.

• Penalties for non-compliance with the zero-alcohol rule:

– Fine of $300 to $600, in addition to other costs
– 90-day licence suspension
– 4 demerit points (resulting in an additional 3-month licence revocation)

• These provisions do not preclude criminal charges for impaired driving, if the
blood alcohol concentration is over 0.08.

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS 29

 Other Legal Provisions

• Drinking alcohol inside a vehicle is prohibited.

– No exceptions (e.g. in a limousine or motor coach)
– Fine for the driver: $300 to $600, in addition to other costs
– Fine for the passenger: $200 to $300, in addition to other costs

• Penalties for driving without a valid licence (if suspended or revoked for
impaired driving).
– Fine of $1,500 to $3,000, in addition to other costs
– Vehicle seized and impounded for 30 days
– Licence plate recognition system (cameras installed on police cars for
automatic detection of invalid licence plates or licences)

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 Financial Consequences

An impaired driving conviction is costly.

– 1st offence: A minimum of $1,750

– 2nd or subsequent offence: in the event of a repeat offence, costs are
even greater (between $4,500 and $6,000)

• Then there are:

– Legal fees
– A substantial increase in insurance premiums
– Fees for the translation of the judgment for trips to the United States
(because of the criminal record)

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 Social Consequences

An impaired driving conviction affects a person’s family and work.

• The loss of a driver’s licence makes it difficult to:

– get around for work, go out to visit friends and meet family and social
obligations.

• A criminal record makes it difficult to:

– be hired (certain jobs require a clean slate)
– purchase insurance (insurers may refuse to sell you insurance or charge
higher premiums)
– make trips outside Canada (may be a reason for another country to deny
entry)

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS 32

 Physical and Psychological Consequences

A conviction for impaired driving resulting in death or injury to

another person has a lifelong impact.
• Physical
– Trauma that is often severe for the driver and others involved in the
accident
– After-effects that make it difficult to resume one’s normal activities

• Psychological
– Post-traumatic stress
– Loss of self-esteem, remorse when someone else is injured or killed, etc.

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS 33