70 percent of people polled believe driving impaired by drugs is not a major problem.
In contrast, 79 percent of people believe that drivers who are impaired by alcohol are a very serious problem. On the year of 2012, study by researchers at Dalhousie University found that smoking marijuana three hours before driving nearly doubled a driver’s risk of having a motor vehicle crash.
Driving under the influence of marijuana and other related drugs is not risk free. Studies have shown that smoking marijuana can produce very negative effects on drivers.
These include:
- a shorter attention span
- an altered perception of distance and time
- slower reaction times that impair the driver’s ability to respond to sudden events in traffic
Young people often believe that they eliminate the risk for punishment in regards to marijuana because detecting it is more difficult. In terms of alcohol, there are simple roadside drug tests such as the breathalyzer. However, police do have tools to determine whether drugs impair a driver. Standard drug recognition evaluation and sobriety tests assist police in determining if a driver is under the influence of drugs. Driving while under the influence of drugs results in the same type of Criminal Code charges and penalties as driving while drunk.
The side effects of driving while under the influence of drugs are similar to drowsy driving. People believe that they can combat the side effects by listening to the radio, getting fresh air, and talking to passengers. However, the only safe thing to do is not drive if you are impaired by drugs.
