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 veggie
Registered: 07/25/04
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 Driving While on Marijuana Doubles One’s Chances of a Serious Car Crash   1
#15785174 - 02/09/12 05:39 PM (3 months, 17 days ago) |
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Driving While on Marijuana Doubles One’s Chances of a Serious Car Crash
February 9, 2012 - scientificamerican.com
Booze is behind an estimated 2.1 million car accidents each year in the U.S.—which cause almost 11,000 traffic fatalities annually. But many drug users have claimed that a few puffs of pot before getting behind the wheel are perfectly harmless. A new study, however, shows that drivers who smoke marijuana within a few hours of hitting the road are almost twice as likely as stone-sober motorists to be in a crash that results in serious injury or death.
Authors of the new paper, published online Thursday in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), sifted through nine previous studies to develop a clearer picture of the risks to users who light up before revving up. Previous studies have left the effects of marijuana on its own—when not combined with alcohol or other drugs—a little hazy.
But the researchers’ findings make sense to others in the field. “Their results are consistent with experimental evidence that cannabis use leads to dose related impairments in simulated driving, psychomotor skills and on-road driving,” Wayne Hall, of the University of Queensland’s Center for Clinical Research who was not involved in the new research, wrote in a related essay in BMJ.
In addition to the finding that drivers who had recently smoked pot were substantially more likely to be involved in a serious accident, the researchers found that those who had died in these crashes had higher amounts of the drug’s compound tetrahydrocannabinol than those who survived. But there was not enough data to link concentrations of the compound to various outcomes in order to suggest a threshold for dangerous intoxication, noted the researchers, who were led by Mark Asbridge, of Dalhousie University’s Department of Community Health and Epidemiology.
Driving while stoned has become a hot topic as more states allow for medical use of marijuana. The 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that more than 10 million people admitted to having driven while on at least one illegal drug—with pot being the most common. More than a dozen states currently have roadside drug tests for cannabis that sample drivers’ saliva for traces of tetrahydrocannabinol. But, as Hall noted, ascertaining a dangerous level—as is currently used in a breath-based test for alcohol (0.05 percent)—is less clear cut. So far many governments are using a zero-tolerance rule, but, as Hall pointed out, “researchers have proposed a concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol below which driving is not impaired.”
Assessing the definitive risk for actually being in a car crash because of marijuana use is also tricky because studies haven’t always looked at drivers who were not determined to be “at fault”—or passengers of vehicles or people involved in minor accidents.
Nevertheless, Asbridge and his colleagues noted, “This information could be used as the basis for campaigns against drug impaired driving.” But the roadside testing has not been as widely publicized as rapid alcohol breath tests have been, so the chance of getting “caught” with pot in one’s system doesn’t seem to have scared very many people into not smoking before driving. As Hall wrote, the idea that roadside tests for pot will reduce traffic fatalities as drastically and as rapidly as breathalyzers did for alcohol “is probably too optimistic.” But that doesn’t mean that attempts to stub out the dangerous habit should be written off just yet. “Better evidence is essential,” Hall said of the attempts to fight pot-impaired driving with more roadside testing.
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 atomicshaman
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Re: Driving While on Marijuana Doubles One’s Chances of a Serious Car Crash [Re: veggie]
#15785202 - 02/09/12 05:47 PM (3 months, 17 days ago) |
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i can only speak for myself , i have driven stoned thousands of times {and ridden motorcycles stoned} . and have never had an accident stoned , so from my point of view its crap.
riding motorcycles stoned works for me.
stoned or not , if you are awake and aware bad shit shouldnt happen.
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h4x354x0r
Hack Man
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Misleading statistical bullshit [Re: veggie] 2
#15785239 - 02/09/12 05:56 PM (3 months, 17 days ago) |
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The headline is complete misleading statistical horse shit, of course. Notice that the article never actually quotes the numbers? Well "Almost twice as much!" is actually an absolute change is one from about .3% to .58% - a whole .28% increase. Big. Fucking. Whoop. This is just one research, too. Other research has concluded no, or even a negative, correlation to cannabis use. None have shown big changes either way. This is a case of "A little bit more of not much is not much more."
Sure, cannabis does impair driving. But compared to almost any other legal or illegal drug (alcohol increases your chances by closer to 100, than 2), cannabis is one of the least dangerous.
And don't forget, unlike just about any pharma or other drug or alcohol, cannabis is completely non-toxic. That puts it in a drug safety class all it's own. The drug war kills people; the drug itself does not. That, alone, is reason enough to end cannabis prohibition.
Legalize it, regulate it, tax it if you must. But for God's sake, please stop violently attacking and depriving people of their liberty for producing, distributing, or using such a mild, reasonably safe, non-toxic drug.
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dudeman05
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Re: Misleading statistical bullshit [Re: h4x354x0r] 2
#15785253 - 02/09/12 05:59 PM (3 months, 17 days ago) |
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Sleep deprivation is more impairing than driving stoned..
I've driven high hundreds of times.. actually drive safer high cause I feel like I have to compensate.
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aiyobro
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Re: Misleading statistical bullshit [Re: dudeman05]
#15785832 - 02/09/12 08:07 PM (3 months, 17 days ago) |
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people who drive stoned spend more time on the road too usually
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trophycase
Dickface
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Re: Driving While on Marijuana Doubles One’s Chances of a Serious Car Crash [Re: atomicshaman]
#15785849 - 02/09/12 08:13 PM (3 months, 17 days ago) |
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Quote:
atomicshaman said:
i can only speak for myself , i have driven stoned thousands of times {and ridden motorcycles stoned} . and have never had an accident stoned , so from my point of view its crap.
riding motorcycles stoned works for me.
stoned or not , if you are awake and aware bad shit shouldnt happen.
I've driven high thousands of times, and also been in 3 car accidents... Only one was my fault and I was sober for all 3. 
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The Influence
I make it do what it do
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Re: Misleading statistical bullshit [Re: h4x354x0r]
#15785894 - 02/09/12 08:24 PM (3 months, 17 days ago) |
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I'm all for the ending of prohibition, but that doesn't mean I condone driving high or under the influence of any intoxicant for that matter. Ya I'm sure plenty of people have driven while high and not killed or injured anyone, but there are people who have and no one should have to be injured or killed cause someone had to smoke so bad they couldn't wait until they didn't have anywhere to go.
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aiyobro
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Re: Misleading statistical bullshit [Re: The Influence] 2
#15785913 - 02/09/12 08:28 PM (3 months, 17 days ago) |
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Quote:
The Influence said:
I'm old.
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Alan Rockefeller
Mycologist
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Re: Misleading statistical bullshit [Re: The Influence] 2
#15786047 - 02/09/12 09:09 PM (3 months, 17 days ago) |
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Quote:
The Influence said:
I'm all for the ending of prohibition, but that doesn't mean I condone driving high or under the influence of any intoxicant for that matter. Ya I'm sure plenty of people have driven while high and not killed or injured anyone, but there are people who have and no one should have to be injured or killed cause someone had to smoke so bad they couldn't wait until they didn't have anywhere to go.
Many people drive more safely after smoking marijuana. They speed less, leave more following distance and do not perform aggressive driving maneuvers.
Do you think it should be illegal for this segment of the population to drive without smoking weed first?
The level of chemicals in a persons body is a poor indicator of how they will react on the road. I think we should test for impairment, not for specific drugs.
Reaction time is easy to measure. The officer can drop a yardstick, and the driver grabs it as soon as they can. The distance it fell is measured. This is a quantitative measure of how quickly people can react to dangerous situations on the road.
If a test like this was implemented, millions of sober elderly people would be arrested for DUI, and the younger stoners would go free. Drunk drivers of all ages would be fucked, but only if they were actually impaired.
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The Influence
I make it do what it do
Registered: 03/30/11
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Quote:
aiyobro said:
Quote:
The Influence said:
I'm old.
Ya man I'm real old at the age of 25 cause I don't believe in endangering other peoples lives.
Quote:
aiyobro said:I like poop
Now I feel kool like you.Quote:
Alan Rockefeller said:
Quote:
The Influence said:
I'm all for the ending of prohibition, but that doesn't mean I condone driving high or under the influence of any intoxicant for that matter. Ya I'm sure plenty of people have driven while high and not killed or injured anyone, but there are people who have and no one should have to be injured or killed cause someone had to smoke so bad they couldn't wait until they didn't have anywhere to go.
Many people drive more safely after smoking marijuana. They speed less, leave more following distance and do not perform aggressive driving maneuvers.
Do you think it should be illegal for this segment of the population to drive without smoking weed first?
The level of chemicals in a persons body is a poor indicator of how they will react on the road. I think we should test for impairment, not for specific drugs.
Reaction time is easy to measure. The officer can drop a yardstick, and the driver grabs it as soon as they can. The distance it fell is measured. This is a quantitative measure of how quickly people can react to dangerous situations on the road.
If a test like this was implemented, millions of sober elderly people would be arrested for DUI, and the younger stoners would go free. Drunk drivers of all ages would be fucked, but only if they were actually impaired.
I don't know what the quality of weed you smoke is, but to say that it does not effect peoples reaction time and judgment is bolonga. Yes as I said I am sure there are people who drive stoned and not crash, as there are people that drive drunk that don't crash. But there are people that do so it's safer to make it illegal to operate a vehicle under the influence. If people are really going to argue that they should have the right to drive under the influence they need rehab. I really don't get whats so hard about waiting to smoke when you don't have to drive in the immediate future.
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DebuteMachine
Psychonaut
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Quote:
The Influence said:
I'm all for the ending of prohibition, but that doesn't mean I condone driving high or under the influence of any intoxicant for that matter. Ya I'm sure plenty of people have driven while high and not killed or injured anyone, but there are people who have and no one should have to be injured or killed cause someone had to smoke so bad they couldn't wait until they didn't have anywhere to go.
In my opinion, you are buying into the propaganda. I too, have driven a thousand or more times in a car or on a motorcycle high as a kite, and have not been in any accidents. I will agree, there certainly has to be scientific evidence of a change in one's driving awareness while under the influence of marijuana, but it has not been proven to be a negative influence. There are even studies out there that suggest it has a positive effect on the driver!
So in conclusion I think your statements are surely bold ones, but not ones of complete truth.
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 vinnymontana21
new wool socks
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Re: Driving While on Marijuana Doubles One’s Chances of a Serious Car Crash [Re: veggie]
#15786223 - 02/09/12 09:56 PM (3 months, 17 days ago) |
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Quote:
.
Assessing the definitive risk for actually being in a car crash because of marijuana use is also tricky because studies haven’t always looked at drivers who were not determined to be “at fault”—or passengers of vehicles or people involved in minor accidents.
“
what do the passengers of the vehicle have to do with this.
there dosnt seem to be any research done here. there just saying they need more data to make there title true. and they still dont realize that drugs effect every one differently and when i say differently i also mean every time its different for the same person. i could blow a point .1 one day and be buzzed a little and the next day i feel wasted off of 2 beers. poor article article. id rather die high any day than live statistically.
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some things have to be believed to be seen.
catch our vapors
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The Influence
I make it do what it do
Registered: 03/30/11
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Quote:
DebuteMachine said:
Quote:
The Influence said:
I'm all for the ending of prohibition, but that doesn't mean I condone driving high or under the influence of any intoxicant for that matter. Ya I'm sure plenty of people have driven while high and not killed or injured anyone, but there are people who have and no one should have to be injured or killed cause someone had to smoke so bad they couldn't wait until they didn't have anywhere to go.
In my opinion, you are buying into the propaganda. I too, have driven a thousand or more times in a car or on a motorcycle high as a kite, and have not been in any accidents. I will agree, there certainly has to be scientific evidence of a change in one's driving awareness while under the influence of marijuana, but it has not been proven to be a negative influence. There are even studies out there that suggest it has a positive effect on the driver!
So in conclusion I think your statements are surely bold ones, but not ones of complete truth.
It's not buying into propaganda, I know how marijuana effects myself and many many other people that I have smoked with. I have been so high I completely blocked out people trying to have a conversation with me. Thats the state of mind people should be driving in? I could link to dozens of peoples posts saying they get mind-fucked high. Can you please link me to the studies that say smoking marijuana makes a driver safer?
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Alan Rockefeller
Mycologist
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Quote:
I don't know what the quality of weed you smoke is
It varies greatly over the years, but currently 3.5 grams lasts me about 30 days.
Edit: Oh, you said quality, not quantity. I live in California and here it is impossible to find anything other than the very best.
Quote:
but to say that it does not effect peoples reaction time and judgment is bolonga.
I believe that marijuana has a small effect on reaction time, and it improves judgment while driving, in most users.
It would be interesting and easy to test this. If my friend drops a ruler, how many inches does it fall before I can react and grab it? How many inches if I smoke first? How many inches if I smoke a whole lot? And how many if I smoke and also eat some strong hash brownies? How far does it fall if I drink 2 beers? I clearly need to invest in a ruler.
I base this belief on empirical evidence. I have been driving for 17 years. I drive a lot. It is fair to say that 50% of the times I have driven, I smoked weed first. Often in the car.
I have been involved in 6 car accidents, half were my fault. I was stoned in 0 of these accidents.
When I drive stoned, I drive differently. I drive slower; I am in no hurry to get there. I don't cut people off or perform dangerous maneuvers.
When I drive sober, I do some dumb things occasionally. I get impatient for no good reason. I speed. I pass people when I really shouldn't. I am not always polite on the road.
When I consider my behavior and its effects on other drivers, I come to the conclusion that marijuana should be mandatory for people operating automobiles. Or at least, it should be mandatory for me. If I always smoked before I drove, it would have kept me out of several accidents.
Some people drive worse after smoking; those people should not smoke and drive. Everyone is different in this regard.
However, I firmly believe that for the majority of heavy smokers, they drive better stoned. Light smokers should not hit the pipe until they get to their destination.
Quote:
I have been so high I completely blocked out people trying to have a conversation with me. Thats the state of mind people should be driving in?
No. Even experienced stoners can get too high to drive. But 99% of the time they are aware of this and wait a while before they go anywhere.
The current drug driving laws have very low cutoffs - A medical marijuana patient can be sober for 24 hours or more, and still be arrested for DUI.
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vinnymontana21
new wool socks
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and every marijuana plant is different chemically, and has different effects. and damn an eigher lasts you a month. are we talkin bho? ha
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some things have to be believed to be seen.
catch our vapors
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Alan Rockefeller
Mycologist
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Quote:
and damn an eigher lasts you a month. are we talkin bho?
No, just very good weed. And 90% of the time I am too lazy to smoke it.
Also, I smoke hitters, not joints, so I don't use very much at a time.
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The Influence
I make it do what it do
Registered: 03/30/11
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Ok and I'm not saying it impairs your ability, but I truly believe it impairs enough peoples ability that it's safer to apply the same laws to it as drinking and driving. If you were to do a real study and get the results to say that marijuana makes drivers more attentive and react faster then you might change my opinion. But I know a lot of smokers that I won't get in a car with again, and others I really wouldn't want on the road.
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aiyobro
Good Looking Bitch
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well stop getting into peoples cars and you might not have that problem
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sk8ordude
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Re: Driving While on Marijuana Doubles One’s Chances of a Serious Car Crash [Re: vinnymontana21]
#15786335 - 02/09/12 10:25 PM (3 months, 17 days ago) |
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I'd like to take part in a study about how cannabis effects your ability to drive or coordination in general.
Also how are they going to test this, do they have breathalizers for weed?
I skateboard so I know weed doesn't impair me at dosages I use, you just cant perceive yourself to be better then you really are on a skateboard for long, because thats when pain happens. With driving you can over estimate yourself because its extremely easy most of the time.
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starfire_xes
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Re: Misleading statistical bullshit [Re: aiyobro]
#15786338 - 02/09/12 10:26 PM (3 months, 17 days ago) |
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Didn't the Royal Anti-Drug people in england commission a study, and the results came back that pot smokers were safer than even straight people driving? I guess they are butt-hurt because they didn't get the results they wanted.
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