Almost 15 MILLION drivers hit the road high on marijuana this month – doubling their risk of a car accident
- Those who drive after using marijuana are up to twice as likely to be involved in a car accident
- This is because the drug impairs judgment and motor coordination, and slows reaction time
- About 70% said they think it’s ‘unlikely’ they’ll get arrested for driving high
- Nearly 13% viewed driving after using pot as only ‘slightly dangerous’ or ‘not dangerous at all
Around 15 million drivers get behind the wheel within an hour after using marijuana, a new survey finds.
Data from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reveals that 13 percent of Americans viewed doing so as only ‘slightly dangerous’ or ‘not dangerous at all’.
However, those who use the drug are about twice as likely to get into a car accident due to impaired judgment and slow reaction times.
And even more troubling, the survey found about 70 percent believe they won’t get arrested for driving high.
A new survey from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that 13% of Americans view driving after using marijuana as only ‘slightly dangerous’ or ‘not dangerous at all’ (file image)
For the survey, AAA polled more than 2,500 licensed drivers aged 16 and older who drove in the last 30 days.
Health experts say that the impairing effects of marijuana – including judgment, motor coordination, and reaction time – kick in between one and four hours after using the drug.
Cannabis users who drive under the influence are up to twice as likely to be involved in a car accident.
‘Marijuana can significantly alter reaction times and impair a driver’s judgment. Yet, many drivers don’t consider marijuana-impaired driving as risky as other behaviors like driving drunk or talking on the phone while driving,’ said Dr David Yang, executive director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
‘It is important for everyone to understand that driving after recently using marijuana can put themselves and others at risk.’
The survey found that millennials (25-39 years old) are the most likely to report driving shortly after using pot, followed by Generation Z (24 years old and under).
Men were also almost two times more likely to report driving within an hour after using the drug than women.
About seven percent approved of driving after using cannabis compared to other behaviors such as drinking or drowsy driving.
Perhaps the most surprising find was the nearly 70 percent of Americans who think it’s ‘unlikely’ they’ll get arrested for driving high.
‘It’s time to face the facts. Any driver who gets behind the wheel high can be arrested and prosecuted,’ said Jake Nelson, director of traffic safety and advocacy for AAA.
‘Law enforcement officials are getting more sophisticated in their methods for identifying marijuana-impaired drivers and the consequences are not worth the risk.’
The survey found that the number of drivers arrested by trained drug recognition experts has increased by 20 percent since 2015.
AAA recommends that the public avoids driving impaired by designating a sober driver, taking a cab or a ride share service, using public transit, or staying overnight at a friend’s house.