Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana

In today's world, driving under the influence is a serious matter. While you, a responsible driver, may be safely proceeding in your lane, who can guarantee that the driver on the other side of that yellow line is just as sober? As drivers, some of us come to accept certain driving-related risks, such as playing the radio, having passengers in the car, or talking on the cellphone. Others stop completely at stop signs, yield to all traffic, and wouldn't be caught going five miles above the speed limit. Depending on the driver, the risks are weighed against the rewards, such as getting home to watch the game faster or making that important phone call during your midday commute. But, as human beings, our decisions on risks differ from person to person. Just as many of us continue to talk on our cellphones while driving, many others continue to drive while drunk for the feeling of excitement or necessity.

The majority of us have learned about the dangers of driving drunk. Some, on the other hand, continue this high-risk activity despite the overwhelming evidence against it. In fact, in 2006, there were 13,470 fatalities because of one or more intoxicated drivers, nearly a third of all traffic fatalities for the year. It's clear that if you drink and get behind the wheel, your reaction time will slow. You will feel more bold and get distracted far more easily, tending to drift out of your lane and sharply pull back into it. This, we know, and while thousands of people each year continue to drink and drive, most of us have learned from their mistakes.

Driving high. Well, it's driving under the influence of an illegal substance, marijuana. It slows down your reaction time, doesn't it? I haven't heard about it as much in the news, but it's probably just as dangerous, right? Nearly 10 million Americans have admitted to driving while under the influence of marijuana. Shouldn't we be worried? Not quite. In fact, most evidence, though it is not nearly as prominent as drunk-driving related information, reveals the contrary.

According to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), "in closed course and driving simulator studies, marijuana's acute effects on psychomotor performance include minor impairments in tracking (eye movement control) and reaction time, as well as variation in lateral positioning, headway (drivers under the influence of cannabis tend to follow less closely to the vehicle in front of them), and speed (drivers tend to decrease speed following cannabis inhalation). In general, these variations in driving behavior are noticeably less consistent or pronounced than the impairments exhibited by subjects under the influence of alcohol. Also, unlike subjects impaired by alcohol, individuals under the influence of cannabis tend to be aware of their impairment and try to compensate for it accordingly, either by driving more cautiously or by expressing an unwillingness to drive altogether."

Diana Hartman of the BlogCritics Magazine supports this claim, saying she is "hesitant to believe that a stoned person could or would drive fast enough to do more than bump a trashcan." In addition, Hartman states that she never had an overwhelming need to drive, like some intoxicated drivers do, granted that she could ever find her keys.

While the debate between the danger of driving high remains unclear, it seems obvious that driving drunk poses a far greater risk. While most drivers who were under the influence of marijuana have maintained that they actually drove slower and more safely, many drunk drivers haven't lived to tell their stories.

Sources:
Paul Armentano, Cannabis and Driving: A Scientific and Rational Review. NORML.

Diana Hartman, "The High Stakes of Driving High." BlogCritics Magazine.

"Drunk Driving Statistics." Alcohol Alert!