The British Columbia Automobile Association (BCAA) is encouraging road safety as cannabis legalization approaches.

With the legalization of cannabis, the BCAA has launched an awareness campaign around impaired driving, after a national CAA study showed that 20% of 18-34 year old Canadian drivers (millennials) think they drive the same or even better when high.

That said, the BCAA believes millennials have the potential to lead all generations in high-driving prevention, due to the following findings about millennials:

• 91% make plans for a safe ride home before a night out
• 88% would never consider driving impaired
• 78% saying they would “call out” friends considering driving impaired
• 72% have been designated drivers over the last three years, with 55% doing it regularly

“Millennials have a special place in history,” said Shawn Pettipas, BCAA’s Director of Community Engagement. “This generation grew up surrounded by impaired driving messages on TV, radio and in school. They’re the first generation who got behind the wheel appreciating the risks, and who made impaired driving socially unacceptable. What we want is for people to understand that high driving is also impaired driving, and for all millennials to add that into their set of values.”