Using Cannabis-Impaired Driving Research to Inform Policy Decisions
CARSP Webinar Series
Date/Time
Date(s) - March 30, 2023
12:00 pm EDT - 1:00 pm EDT
The legal framework for recreational and medical cannabis has shifted in the last decade in many countries around the world, and still others are considering making this move. This trend has brought more urgency to the issue of cannabis-impaired driving. The science surrounding this issue is complex and studies are not easily compared nor interpreted. Many studies report mixed findings related to impairment and suffer from different limitations. As such, the implications of research findings are not easily or clearly translated into policy and legislation, which is also often informed by other factors. For this reason, the International Council on Alcohol, Drugs & Traffic Safety formed a Drugged Driving Workgroup comprised of international expert to clearly summarize the latest research findings to help inform policy decisions in many countries. This presentation will summarize some of the latest Canadian data and provide an overview of key findings from the factsheet series.
Speakers
Robyn Robertson
President & CEO, Traffic Injury Research Foundation,
Co-Chair, Drugged Driving Working Group, ICADTS
Robyn Robertson is the President & CEO of the Traffic Injury Research Foundation and holds a Master of Criminology Applied degree During her 23 years in the research field, Ms Robertson has published more than 350 reports and articles on a broad range of road safety issues with a focus on education, policy and program development and evaluation. She has delivered technica l assistance for road safety programs in several countries and is the author of TIRF’s knowledge translation model which is the basis for TIRF’s many educational programs. Robyn is well-versed in implementation strategies and operational practices across transportation, criminal justice and health systems, and industry. She is a member of, or has served on several academic and professional Boards and committees.
Steve Brown
Research Associate, Traffic Injury Research Foundation
Steve Brown is a research associate with the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF), a non-profit, independent road safety institute. TIRF is a world leader in research, safety programs, and policy development. Since 1991, he has managed TIRF’s National Fatality Database which is a valuable source of data for reports and peer-reviewed articles on various road safety topics. He has co-authored the Alcohol-Crash Problem report, an annual publication that examines the current state and historical trends for alcohol and drug use among fatally injured drivers. Steve has also co-authored several reports and articles on distracted driving, impaired driving, and the impact of COVID-19 on road safety. He has worked on a variety of research topics such as lifestyle factors among young drivers, distracted driving, bicycle safety, winter driving and elderly drivers. He has represented TIRF at various conferences including the Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals (CARSP), Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA), the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP), and the International Council on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety (ICADTS). He is on the board of directors of arrive alive DRIVE SOBER.
Before joining TIRF, he was a research analyst for Optima Consultants. He moderated focus groups and worked on survey design, sampling, and analysis for projects ranging from voting intentions to young peoples’ perceptions of AIDS.
Steve received his Honours in Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications in 1986 from the Carleton University.