Canada Must Find a Concise System for Policing Drug Driving Argues Shop Insurance Canada

January 4, 2017 - The federal government has announced a new pilot program has started which gives several police departments in Canada the tools to use oral fluid screening devices to test motorists for drugs. Shop Insurance Canada says the program is a step in the right direction, but more must be done to ensure police around the country can combat drug driving.

With marijuana about to be legalized in Canada, the government is giving law enforcement officers more tools to help test for drug use in drivers. Drug driving is predicted to increase on roads, but police currently lack the ability to properly test for narcotics in a similar way they do for alcohol.

"None of the results from the testing will be used against volunteers in court as evidence in any criminal or administrative proceeding," Public Safety Canada stated in a release. "The testing results will help establish possible future operating procedures."

The new pilot was announced on Wednesday by Ralph Goodale, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness minister.

"In parallel, Canadian standards for oral fluid devices will still need to be established before a government procurement process for the device can be launched," Public Safety Canada stated.

The release explains that the program aims to "test how well officers are able to use certain roadside drug testing devices on motorists under different weather conditions," Public Safety Canada noted. The department also points out that drivers and passengers must volunteer for the screenings, which cannot be enforced by police officers.

Those police services include Toronto, Vancouver, Halifax, the Ontario Provincial Police and the city police in Gatineau, Quebec, across the Ottawa River from Ottawa. City police in Yellowknife and North Battleford, Saskatchewan (provided under contract by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police) are also taking part in the pilot program, Public Safety Canada reported.

Ontario has already started its preparations for allowing drug testing on motorists. The province introduced powers for police to impose three-day on the spot license suspensions for drivers caught operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs. The law has been in operation since October and was granted with the Transportation Statute Law Amendment Act (Making Ontario's Roads Safer), Bill 31, passed into law June 2, 2015.

Shop Insurance Canada, a leading insurance industry expert, says that granting more powers to law enforcement and training police can help combat drugged driving.

"At the moment, police feel they are ill-equipped and ill-prepared to deal with an increasing amount of drugged-driving. With the legalization of marijuana in 2017, Canada's roads may see further hikes in the amount of drivers operating vehicles while under the influence of cannabis. By ensuring there is a clear and standard procedure for testing, the government can give law enforcement tools to police the problem. It is also important for officers to be trained to become Drug Recognition Experts (DRE)."

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