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Abstract
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The Road Safety Monitor (RSM) is an annual public opinion survey conducted by the traffic injury research Foundation (tirF) and sponsored by transport Canada and the Brewers association of Canada. the survey takes the pulse of the nation on key road safety issues by means of a telephone and on-line survey of a random, representative sample of Canadian motor vehicle drivers.
> The annual results of the RSM are released in a series of reports (available at: www.tirf.ca) - the present one focuses on youth drinking and driving.
> Young drivers make up a small proportion of the drinking and driving problem. however, some research has shown that when young drivers do drink and drive, they are more likely than adults to experience an alcohol related crash.
> Young drivers impaired by alcohol were rated as a very or extremely serious problem by 82.1% of young Canadian drivers aged 16-24, and young drivers impaired by drugs other than alcohol are a very or extremely serious problem according to 69.6% of young drivers.
> When asked about driving within two hours of consuming any amount of alcohol in the past 30 days, 11.9% of the 484 young drivers aged 16 to 24 in the sample admitted to doing this. this is in line with other surveys showing self-reported rates of drinking and driving among youth between 10% and 20%. When asked about driving when they thought they were over the legal limit in the past 12 months, 7.9% of young drivers admitted to doing this.
> of the 7.9% of young drivers who drove a motor vehicle after drinking when they thought they were over the legal limit, 54.4% reported that the last time they drove under such conditions they did so with passengers in the vehicle.
> Within the last month, 6.5% of young Canadian drivers indicated that they had been a passenger in a motor vehicle driven by someone who has been drinking on one occasion, and 7.4% indicated that they had been a passenger between two and ten such occasions.
> In terms of drinking location, the majority of young drivers aged 16 to 24 (94.1%) who drove when they thought they were over the legal limit reported doing most of their drinking when they were at a location where they were likely drinking with others (i.e., at the home of a friend or relative, a bar, a restaurant, a party, or other locations) and 5.8% reported doing most of their drinking at their own home prior to driving.
> With regards to the use of various measures for dealing with the issue of drinking and driving 77% of young drivers agreed that a device that prevents a drinking driver from starting the car should be mandatory for all convicted impaired drivers; 60.5% agreed that there should be more visible enforcement for drinking drivers; 52.7% agreed that the police should be allowed to do random breath tests to detect drinking drivers; 49% agreed that a device that prevents a driver from starting the car when he or she has been drinking should be mandatory for young drivers; and, 44.2% agreed that a device that prevents a driver from starting the car when he or she has been drinking should be mandatory for all vehicles. |