After becoming legalized statewide in 2012, marijuana has caused concern among Colorado transportation officials. The main fear is that motorists will drive stoned and cause car accidents. To reduce the chances of such accidents happening, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and Colorado State Patrol (CSP) are launching a joint campaign to raise awareness on stoned driving.
Keep in mind, that with Colorado being one of the first states to legalize marijuana for all adults 21 and over, and not just those with a medical condition, ‘all eyes are on us’. Other states considering similar laws will be looking at how our law enforcement and transportation agencies handle the prospect of stoned driving.
As part of the campaign, CDOT surveyed 3,000 residents and asked if they have driven their cars within two hours of smoking or ingesting edibles. Surprisingly, 200 people responded, 55 percent of which answered yes. Another 32 percent of the 200 respondents claimed they believed it was safe to drive stoned.
How Will CDOT’s Stoned Driving Campaign Work?
CDOT and CSP’s campaign will allocate $450,000 to put drugged driving awareness signs on billboards, radio commercials, online banners and even rolling papers. Many billboards are located NEAR dispensaries. Part of the campaign involves teaming up with marijuana businesses to put warning messages inside of dispensaries.
CSP claims 20 percent of all DUIs in Colorado involve stoned motorists, although this number has gone down. Since legalization in 2012, CSP has refined its ability to catch drivers under the influence of marijuana by instituting detection training for officers. Colorado law enforcement can conduct field sobriety tests or draw blood to test for THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.
Driving a vehicle is a responsibility that all should take seriously. With choices such as Uber, Lyft and other ride-sharing services available in Colorado, there is no excuse to drive under the influence.
The Colorado personal injury attorneys at Metier Law Firm encourage safe and responsible driving.