Traffic safety tips
July’s traffic safety focus is Impaired Driving.
Be safe this Stampede and throughout the summer. Be informed about the laws and how alcohol and cannabis use affect your ability to operate a motor vehicle.
Types of impaired driving:
- alcohol
- cannabis and other mind-altering drugs
- fatigue
- prescribed and over-the-counter medications
Did you know:
- Most casualty collisions involving alcohol happen on the weekends between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m.
- An average of 15 pedestrian-involved collisions happen during Stampede and 22 per cent of these collisions are downtown
- City-wide, hit and run incidents increase by about three per cent during Stampede
- City-wide, pedestrian collisions at non-intersection locations (i.e. midblock) increase by seven per cent during Stampede
- The risk of collision resulting in a fatality is 60 per cent higher during Stampede
Let’s share the road safely and look out for each other.
Alcohol and driving
What affects your blood alcohol concentration (BAC)?
- your sex
- your weight
- an empty stomach
- medications
- mood
- fatigue level
- the rate of consumption
Some people can be impaired even after consuming a small amount of alcohol. It’s important to assess your ability to drive regardless of how much you consume.
Cannabis and driving
Research has found that driving within several hours of consuming cannabis increases the risk of a crash that can result in injury or death. Cannabis is the most common drug found in drivers aged 16 to 19.
Effects of cannabis on driving can be less visible than those associated with alcohol, but they are every bit as impairing in their own way. Some of these effects include:
- Reduced ability to divide your attention between your speed, other traffic, pedestrians and weather
- Poor time and space management which slows down your reaction time if conditions change, such as a car stopping suddenly in front of you)
Find a designated driver
An easy way to stay safe is to have a designated driver – someone who stays sober (doesn’t consume alcohol or drugs). Learn how to access ride share options.
For more information including penalties and blood concentration levels for alcohol and cannabis levels, visit Calgary Police Services.
The Alberta government also provides more information on the penalties for impaired driving.
Check out the Calgary Traffic Tips booklet for the information you need to become more knowledgeable, safe and confident when moving around Calgary streets and sidewalks.