When it comes to drug-impaired driving, it is important to understand the science behind how different substances impact driving abilities. Contrary to popular belief, not all drugs impair driving skills in the same way. Methamphetamine, for instance, does not impair driving-related psychomotor skills and, in some cases, may even improve them.
Our drug-impaired driving laws in Canada should seriously be reconsidered. As we are more than five years past the creation of drug-impaired driving per se limits, the science and the extremely low and limited number of these charges should dictate how we move forward from here.
The Impairment Myth
The ‘impairment myth’ is the misconception that any psychoactive drug involved in a road crash must impair driving skills. This myth ignores other psychological factors, such as increased bravado or aggression, which can also play significant roles in driving behaviour.
Many road-safety policies, unfortunately, are based on this myth, leading to laws that do not reflect the actual impact of certain drugs on driving.
This is because we have been coerced and convinced by alcohol-impaired driving laws that anything that affects your norm or causes you to deviate from your norm must create a traffic-safety risk. In reality, little science is used to ground these assumptions.
Methamphetamine and Driving Performance
Research has shown that methamphetamine does not impair and may even enhance driving-related psychomotor skills. This challenges the common perception and highlights the need for a more nuanced understanding of how this drug affects drivers. For instance, the European DRUID research demonstrated that acute methamphetamine use improves cognitive performance related to driving.
A comprehensive review by Love et al. (2024) supports these findings, showing that acute methamphetamine use either improves cognitive performance or has no significant impact. However, the chronic use of methamphetamine and its relationship with increased hostility suggests that aggression, rather than impaired motor skills, may be the real issue.
So the real concern is not the blood drug concentration or use of the drug, but prior exposure. The question that arises from this is whether the chronic use of methamphetamine has an impact on the person overall that ultimately leads to road safety issues, as opposed to the issue stemming from the drug itself.
Psychological Factors and Road Safety
The research by Mackay et al. (2024) delves deeper into the behavioural aspects of methamphetamine use and driving. Their findings indicate that trait anger is a significant predictor of risky driving among methamphetamine users. This suggests that the increased risk of road trauma associated with methamphetamine use is likely due to heightened aggression rather than impaired driving ability.
Rethinking Drug-Impaired Driving Laws
Given these findings in recent research, it seems clear that drug-driving laws should be grounded in scientific evidence. Penalty levels based on blood concentrations of THC or other drugs often do not accurately reflect their impact on driving abilities.
For instance, in Norway, the penalties for THC concentrations are compared to those for alcohol, assuming similar impairing effects, which is misleading.
How We Can Help
If you’ve been charged with drug-impaired driving, it’s essential to have a legal team that understands the science behind these laws. We have extensive experience in challenging drug-impaired driving charges using scientific evidence.
Contact us today for a consultation and let us help you build a strong defence based on the latest scientific research. Don’t let outdated myths dictate your future—get the expert legal support you need.
We are committed to providing informed and effective legal representation for those charged with drug-impaired driving.
Contact us now to discuss your case and explore your options.
