Colorado became the first state in U.S. history to legalize cannabis, and since its inception into state law, some critics have argued that stoned driving will lead to more car accidents. One unfortunate 23-year-old Colorado man may end up becoming a stoned driving statistic after he slammed into the back of a police cruiser and was promptly arrested under suspicion of impaired driving.
Stoned drivers who are pulled over will likely be asked to do a roadside sobriety test. In the event a stoned driver does hit another person, criminal charges do not need to be brought against them for a civil case to proceed in court.
Although statistics are still in the works for determining how many motorists die or face injury every year from driving under the influence of legal-cannabis, there are reputable sources that show it can still be dangerous. Unsurprisingly, law enforcement treats driving under the influence of cannabis much like it does alcohol, and motorists may face very similar penalties if caught.
Although data on accidents caused by cannabis legalization in Colorado are still being gathered and are likely years away from being published, data on impairment caused by driving under the influence of cannabis does exist.
How Cannabis Use Affects Drivers
Alcohol and cannabis impair drivers in slightly different ways. National Center for Biotechnology Information studies show that cannabis-impaired drivers are more likely to overestimate their impairment and then compensate for it by driving slowly and giving other vehicles a greater distance while the opposite effects are found in drunk drivers. However, both alcohol and cannabis are dangerous to use while driving because both cause impairment in reaction time to emergencies.
According to the NCBI, drivers under the influence of cannabis pay less attention to the speedometer, need more time to brake at a light or respond to a changing light, and need more time to make a decision to pass other vehicles.
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Did You Know? Every day, people drive drunk 300,000 times but only 4,000 are arrested.
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