The overall pattern of findings indicates that the use of drugs by drivers is an issue distinct and separate from that of alcohol use by drivers and therefore requires a unique approach to prevention, education and enforcement to reduce the number of fatal crashes involving driver drug use and improve overall road safety in Canada. [...] In recognition of the acknowledged magnitude of the drugs and driving problem and the need to take effective action, the Government of Canada passed new legislation (Bill C-2) that went into effect July 2, 2008. [...] This series of amendments to the Criminal Code of Canada strengthened the laws related to drug-impaired driving, providing police with the power to demand a driver suspected of being impaired by drugs submit to a Standardized Field Sobriety Test, participate in an evaluation of drug influence by an officer trained in the Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) program, and provide a sample of blo [...] Although research is beginning to document the extent of the drugs and driving problem in Canada, there is also a need to further understand the behaviour and its similarities and differences with the alcohol-crash problem. [...] In 71% of the cases, the driver was the only occupant in the vehicle; in 19.6% of cases, the driver had a single passenger.