A new poll by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) reveals that fewer Canadian drivers are getting behind the wheel after drinking. Researchers found that both the percentage of drinking drivers who drove after drinking any amount of alcohol and of drinking drivers who drove when they thought they were over the legal limit dropped in 2012 compared to previous years. The public opinion poll conducted in October 2012 investigated Canadians’ behaviours and actions in relation to drinking and driving as well as trends in their behaviours.

In a new Road Safety Monitor (RSM) report by TIRF, researchers found that the percentage of those who drove after drinking any amount of alcohol decreased from 19.2% in 2011 to 17.3% in 2012. Researchers also found a significant decrease in the percentage of Canadian drivers who admitted to driving when they thought they were over the legal limit in the past twelve months from 5.4% in 2011 to 3.6% in 2012. The drop in 2012 is even larger when compared with the 9.1% reported in 1998. TIRF first reported a significant drop in the number of drivers who admitted to driving when they thought they were over the legal limit in 2008. Reasons explaining the additional decrease in 2012 are not immediately apparent but researchers say this finding is encouraging.

“Socio-economic factors such as employment rates, increasing gas prices and reduced alcohol consumption are always noted as possible contributing factors when looking at impaired driving rates, “explains Kyla Marcoux, TIRF research associate. “However, increases in the availability and the scope of educational programming and awareness campaigns as well changes to federal and jurisdictional impaired driving laws in recent years may be contributing factors as well and further monitoring will be needed to quantify the effects.”

In spite of these declines, researchers want to emphasize that further progress can be made. The study found that the decline seen among the percentage of drivers who admitted to driving after drinking any alcohol in 2012 is still well above the low of 14.7% that was reported in 2005. This may suggest that a small number of drivers continue to be unaware of the risks that lower levels of alcohol can pose.