How Many Canadians Die in Impaired-Driving Crashes?

Quick answer: In 2022, 521 Canadians died in crashes involving a drunk driver, up 14% from 457 in 2021, according to figures published by the RCMP. About one in four crash deaths in Canada involved alcohol. At the same time, police reported 71,602 impaired-driving incidents in 2023, the lowest rate on record, which shows that fewer incidents do not yet mean fewer deaths.

The headline number: 521 deaths in 2022

The most direct answer comes from the RCMP, which reports that 521 Canadians died in crashes involving a drunk driver in 2022. That was up from 457 in 2021, a rise of 14%. About one in four crash deaths in Canada involved alcohol.

That figure counts deaths in crashes where a drunk driver was involved. It does not prove that alcohol caused every one of those crashes, and it is not the same as the number of people charged with impaired driving causing death. Different measures answer different questions.

For scale, Transport Canada recorded 1,964 road deaths in Canada in 2023, the highest count in 10 years, up 1.7% from 1,931 in 2022. Impaired driving is one of the largest single contributors to that toll.

Police-reported incidents are falling

Statistics Canada reported 71,602 police-reported impaired-driving incidents in 2023, a rate of 179 per 100,000 population. That was the fourth consecutive annual decline and the lowest rate on record. The highest rate in the 21st century was 267 per 100,000 in 2001.

The same release shows a mixed picture underneath the headline:

• Police charged 70 Canadians with impaired driving causing death in 2023, and 532 with impaired driving causing bodily harm.
• In cases of impaired driving causing death in 2023, alcohol was linked to 48 deaths, ahead of alcohol combined with drugs (9) and drugs alone (5). A further 5 deaths involved an unspecified substance.
• Alcohol-impaired and combined alcohol-and-drug impaired-driving incidents causing bodily harm reached 474 in 2023, the most since 2017, although the rate stayed near record lows.
• Drinking and driving accounted for more than 10 times as many impaired-driving incidents causing bodily harm in 2023 as incidents involving drugs only (40).

Falling incident rates are real progress, but the death figures show the harm has not fallen at the same pace.

Where impaired driving is worst

Impaired-driving rates vary widely across the country. In 2023, Statistics Canada reported:

• Ontario had the lowest rate among the provinces, at 103 incidents per 100,000 residents, followed by Quebec at 152.
• Prince Edward Island had the highest rate among the provinces, at 515 per 100,000, while New Brunswick recorded 251.
• In Western Canada, rates ranged from 414 per 100,000 in Saskatchewan to 175 in Alberta.
• The territories were far higher: 1,225 per 100,000 in Yukon and 3,220 in the Northwest Territories.

These rates are per head of population, not just a reflection of province size. But they are affected by how police services handle traffic offences. Some cases are handled under provincial law, with a licence suspension and fines, rather than under the Criminal Code, and do not appear in these national figures. Rates in small populations also move sharply from year to year.

Alcohol still dominates, but drugs are rising

Alcohol remains the main factor. The RCMP reports that alcohol was involved in nearly 70% of impaired-driving deaths in 2023, and in far more incidents causing bodily harm than drug-only impairment.

Drug-impaired driving is the growing concern. Police-reported drug-impaired incidents rose by about 40% between the pre-legalisation period and 2019-2023, following the legalisation of cannabis in late 2018. Cannabis is the second most common substance detected in fatal crashes, particularly among youth.

Impairment affects vision, reaction time and decision-making, and the risk rises when substances are mixed. Even small amounts can affect judgment and coordination. The safest choice is not to drive at all after drinking or using drugs.

What the law says, and what helps

Under the Criminal Code, it is illegal to drive with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher. You do not need to exceed 0.08% to be charged: police can lay charges based on observed impairment, behaviour or roadside test results. Refusing to provide a sample when lawfully asked is itself a criminal offence.

Most provinces and territories also impose administrative penalties at blood-alcohol levels below 0.08%, often starting at 0.05%. These can include immediate licence suspensions and vehicle impoundment. Penalties for impaired driving causing bodily harm or death can include a criminal record, long driving prohibitions and jail time.

What helps, according to the RCMP:

• Plan a safe ride home before you go out.
• Use a designated driver, public transport or a taxi, or stay where you are.
• Step in for others: take their keys, call a taxi or rideshare, help arrange a sober driver, or offer a place to stay.
• If you suspect impaired driving, contact your local police service or call 911, and give the location, direction of travel, licence plate and a description of the vehicle.

For live reports from across the country, see Canada live accident reports and today's accident reports. For the global picture, see the world statistics page and all articles.

How these numbers were counted

The death figure of 521 comes from the RCMP, which summarises Statistics Canada data on crashes involving a drunk driver in 2022. Incident, charge and rate figures come from Statistics Canada police-reported crime data for 2023, published in December 2024. Total road deaths come from Transport Canada and its National Collision Database.

Police-reported counts only capture incidents police record, and they exclude cases handled under provincial law rather than the Criminal Code. "Died in a crash involving a drunk driver" is not the same measure as "charged with impaired driving causing death", which is why the two numbers differ so much. The latest year of data can be revised as more records arrive.