Statistics Canada says, in 2019, the rate of police-reported incidents of impaired driving was up 19% from the rate recorded in 2018. The rate of alcohol-impaired driving increased by 15%, while the rate of drug-impaired driving increased by 43% in this first year since the legalization of cannabis.

In the wake of the legalization, new legislation on impaired driving-whether by alcohol, cannabis or other drugs-were implemented in 2018. Police were granted new powers to screen for alcohol and drugs, and new criminal offence categories were created. This increase in police capabilities may have contributed to the rise in the rate of police-reported impaired driving in 2019.
The rate of impaired driving nationally was 228 incidents per 100,000 population.

The police-reported rate of impaired driving in 2019 was the highest in nearly 10 years. Despite this increase, the rate is less than half of what it was when comparable data began being collected in 1986.
Among the provinces, Prince Edward Island had the highest rate of impaired driving at 645 incidents per 100,000 population. Saskatchewan followed, with 539 impaired driving incidents per 100,000 population. Breaking our number down, the rate per 100 thousand in Saskatchewan was 479 for alcohol, 32 for alcohol and drugs, 27 for drugs, and 1 unspecified.