Citation

Cook S, Shank D, Bruno T, Turner NE, Mann RE. Traffic Injury Prev. 2017; 18(5): 449-455.

Affiliation

Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/15389588.2016.1149169

PMID

28095034

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This paper describes the patterns of self-reported driving under the influence of alcohol (DUIA) and driving under the influence of cannabis (DUIC) among licenced Ontario students in 2009, and examines their associations with graduated licencing, risk taking, and substance use problems for understanding DUIA and DUIC behaviours. Ontario's graduated licencing system requires new drivers to hold a G1 license for a minimum of 8 months, and a G2 licence for a minimum of 12 months before a full and unrestricted G license can be obtained. Among other restrictions, G1 drivers must maintain a 0 Blood Alcohol Content (BAC), have an experienced driver in the passenger seat, not drive on any high-speed expressways and not drive between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m. A G2 licence is more similar to a G licence, with fewer restrictions..

METHOD: This study analyzed data from the 2009 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS). The OSDUHS is a biennial population-based survey of students (grades 7 to 12) in Ontario, Canada.

RESULTS: The results showed that 16.3% of licensed students in Ontario reported DUIC while 11.5% reported DUIA during the past year. After controlling for the effect of age, type of licence emerged as robust predictor for both DUIA and DUIC behaviour, as students with a G2 and full licence were significantly more likely to report DUIA and DUIC than drivers with a G1 licence. Multivariate analyses suggested that risk seeking behaviours were more important for understanding DUIA behaviour than for DUIC behaviour. Elevated problem indicators for alcohol and for cannabis were associated with DUIA and DUIC, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: While much attention has been paid to drinking and driving among adolescents, this research shows that more Ontario students now report driving after cannabis use than after drinking alcohol. The results identify important correlates of both behaviours that may be useful for prevention purposes.

Keywords: Cannabis, Impaired driving

Language: en

Keywords

DUI; Teenagers; drugs; graduated driver licensing; risk taking