Impaired driving remains one of the most serious criminal offences on Canadian roads. Despite decades of public awareness campaigns, stricter penalties, roadside screening programs, and increased police enforcement, thousands of Canadians continue to face impaired driving charges every year.
While national impaired driving rates have generally declined over the past two decades, Ontario police continue to lay thousands of impaired driving charges annually. Alcohol remains the leading cause of impairment-related offences, though drug-impaired driving continues to be a growing concern across Canada.
This article examines the most recent impaired driving statistics for Ontario and Canada, highlights important trends, and explains why impaired driving remains a major public safety issue.
Impaired Driving in Canada: The Latest National Statistics
According to Statistics Canada, police reported 71,602 impaired driving incidents across Canada in 2023. This represented a rate of 179 incidents per 100,000 population and marked the fourth consecutive annual decline in police-reported impaired driving offences. It was also the lowest national impaired driving rate on record.¹
The decline reflects a long-term trend. In 2001, Canada recorded an impaired driving rate of 267 incidents per 100,000 population. While enforcement methods and legislation have changed significantly over the years, the overall rate has steadily decreased.¹
Despite these improvements, impaired driving remains one of the most commonly prosecuted criminal offences in Canada. According to MADD Canada, an average of 215 impaired driving sanctions are issued every day across the country, including criminal charges and provincial licence suspensions.²
Ontario Continues to Have One of Canada’s Lowest Rates
Ontario consistently reports one of the lowest impaired driving rates among Canadian provinces.
Public Safety Canada data has repeatedly shown that Ontario and Quebec have the lowest provincial rates of police-reported impaired driving incidents in the country.³ While this is encouraging, it does not mean impaired driving is uncommon in Ontario.
Given Ontario’s population of more than 16 million residents, even a relatively low rate still translates into thousands of impaired driving investigations, roadside suspensions, and criminal charges each year.
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) continue to identify impaired driving as one of the “Big Four” factors contributing to serious collisions and roadway fatalities, alongside speeding, distracted driving, and failure to wear seatbelts. During Canada Road Safety Week in 2024 alone, OPP officers laid 254 impaired driving charges across the province.⁴
Alcohol Remains the Leading Cause of Impaired Driving Charges
Although cannabis legalization and increased awareness of drug-impaired driving have received significant attention in recent years, alcohol remains the primary factor in most impaired driving incidents.
Research from the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction confirms that alcohol-impaired driving continues to account for the majority of police-reported impaired driving offences nationwide.⁵
A 2024 national drug driving study similarly concluded that alcohol-impaired driving remains a significantly larger problem than cannabis-impaired driving in Canada.⁶
Police services throughout Ontario continue to conduct RIDE programs and roadside screening initiatives targeting alcohol-impaired drivers, particularly during holiday seasons, long weekends, and major community events.
Drug-Impaired Driving Remains a Growing Concern
While alcohol continues to dominate impaired driving statistics, drug-impaired driving has increased significantly over the past decade.
Statistics Canada reported that police-reported drug-impaired driving incidents increased substantially following legislative changes introduced in 2018. In 2019 alone, police recorded 6,453 drug-impaired driving incidents across Canada, representing an increase of 43% compared to the previous year.⁷
Law enforcement agencies now rely on standardized field sobriety tests, drug recognition experts, and oral fluid screening devices to detect drug impairment. These tools have expanded police enforcement capabilities and contributed to increased detection rates.
As public attitudes toward cannabis continue to evolve, police agencies throughout Ontario continue to emphasize that legalization does not make impaired driving legal.
Impaired Driving and Serious Injuries
Although overall impaired driving rates have declined, some troubling trends remain.
Statistics Canada reported a sharp increase in alcohol-related impaired driving incidents causing bodily harm in 2023. Police recorded 474 alcohol-impaired driving incidents causing bodily harm across Canada, the highest number since 2017.¹
These incidents highlight the severe consequences that can result when individuals choose to drive while impaired. Beyond criminal charges, impaired driving can lead to serious injuries, permanent disabilities, and loss of life.
According to the Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 459 Canadians were killed in crashes involving a drinking driver in 2021. While this represents a substantial decrease from historical levels, alcohol-impaired driving continues to claim hundreds of lives each year.⁸
Road Fatalities Remain a Significant Concern
Canada’s broader road safety picture also reveals ongoing concerns.
The Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators reported 1,964 road fatalities in Canada during 2023, the highest number recorded in the previous decade.⁹ While not all of these deaths involved impaired driving, impairment remains one of the leading contributing factors in fatal collisions.
Many Ontario police services continue to report that approximately one-third of roadway fatalities involve alcohol, drugs, or a combination of both.¹⁰
As a result, impaired driving enforcement remains a top policing priority throughout Ontario.
Why Impaired Driving Charges Are Taken So Seriously
Impaired driving offences carry some of the most severe penalties under Canada’s Criminal Code.
A conviction can result in:
- Criminal record
- Mandatory driving prohibition
- Significant fines
- Increased insurance premiums
- Ignition interlock requirements
- Possible jail sentence
- Employment and travel restrictions
Ontario drivers may also face immediate roadside sanctions before their criminal case is resolved, including vehicle impoundment and administrative licence suspensions.
These consequences can affect a person’s finances, career opportunities, and ability to travel for years after a conviction.
Conclusion
The latest statistics show that impaired driving rates in Canada continue to trend downward, and Ontario remains among the provinces with the lowest reported rates. However, impaired driving remains a serious public safety issue that leads to thousands of criminal charges and hundreds of deaths every year.
Alcohol continues to account for the majority of impaired driving offences, while drug-impaired driving remains an area of growing concern for police and lawmakers. Despite increased enforcement efforts and public education campaigns, impaired driving continues to contribute to serious injuries and fatalities across Ontario and the rest of Canada.
For drivers facing impaired driving allegations, the consequences can be life-changing. Understanding the law, your rights, and the evidence in your case is critical when responding to an impaired driving charge.
Sources
- Statistics Canada, “Driving home impaired driving data for the holiday season” (December 2024).
- MADD Canada, Impaired Driving Statistics (2026).
- Public Safety Canada, Annual National Data Report to Inform Trends and Patterns in Drug-Impaired Driving (2024).
- Ontario Provincial Police 2024 Annual Report.
- Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, Impaired Driving in Canada (2024).
- National Drug Driving Study 2024.
- Statistics Canada, Impaired Driving in Canada, 2019.
- Traffic Injury Research Foundation, Road Safety Monitor 2024.
- Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, Road Safety Report (2025).
- Ontario impaired driving enforcement and road safety data.