Is Driving High As Dangerous As Driving Drunk?
05October

Is Driving High As Dangerous As Driving Drunk?

Written by Craig Rogers, Posted on , in Section Inspirational

Will Legalization Make Driving High Common?

Everybody already understands that driving drunk is dangerous, and over the past 30 years we taken huge strides towards keeping intoxicated individuals from getting behind the wheel. We've greatly increased the punishment drunk drivers receive, had extensive public service advertising campaigns, and generally changed the way drunk driving is viewed culturally. However, now that we've finally dealt with this problem a new one may be emerging. Recent studies have shown that many Americans do not believe that driving high is dangerous and do so regularly. With the legalization of marijuana in Colorado and pending legislation to expand this to many other states, we must ask ourselves if high drivers will end up being a huge public health risk?

How Dangerous Is It To Drive While High?

One of the reasons that many individuals view driving high differently than driving drunk is the lack of research into this area. Studies have been conducted, but conclusive results haven't been obtained so far. However, overall findings from these studies do suggest that being high while driving does have at least some impact on safety. While further research is needed to determine things like how long a person would be unable to drive after smoking and whether dosage matters, it is clear that we need to deal with the dangers associated with this behavior.

Making Sure Our Roads Are Safe

As we move forward, there are several steps that must be taken to ensure that our roads remain safe. First, and perhaps most important, we need consistent and reliable tests that can be administered to determine if someone is driving under the influence of marijuana. This will allow the enforcement of laws already on the books. Beyond testing, it is important that the public be educated about the dangers of using marijuana and driving. A campaign similar to mother's against drunk driving could be very effective in opening the eyes of the general public. Taking both of these steps will help us change how our society views driving while high and ensure that we all remain safe on the road.

 

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