A new survey of over 2,000 U.S. adults, conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America ("PCI"), has found that more Americans consider using social media (99%) and texting (98%) on a cell phone to be dangerous while driving than being under the influence of marijuana (91%).
Although the vast majority of Americans (91%) believe driving under the influence of marijuana is dangerous and a similar percentage (87%) say those who do so are a hazard to others on the road, just two in five (40%) believe it is contributing to more motor vehicle crashes.
Distracted driving, which includes actions such as using a cell phone, talking to passengers, eating, and adjusting the radio, tops the list as the number one perceived contributor (92%) to the increase in crashes across the country.
|Impairs judgment, coordination & reaction time
"Driving under the influence of marijuana is extremely dangerous," said Robert Gordon, senior vice president at PCI. "In fact, driving under the influence of marijuana should be viewed with the same risks as drunk or distracted driving. When you're high, it can impair your judgment, motor coordination, and reaction time. We need more research, public awareness, and better public policy to reduce the dangers of marijuana-impaired driving and to make our roads less dangerous."
Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia currently have laws legalizing marijuana in some form (medical and/or recreational), and according to the Highway Loss Data Institute collision rates were about three percent higher in three states that have approved the sale of marijuana for recreational use — Colorado, Oregon, and Washington.
|Driving high is illegal
While these laws allow for the use of marijuana, driving high is illegal. Evidence shows that marijuana use can impair critical abilities necessary for safe driving, such as divided attention, slow reaction time, lane tracking, and cognitive and executive functions.
The National Safety Council recently announced that we have seen the worst two-year escalation in auto fatalities in more than 50 years. Marijuana-impaired driving is one of the many factors believed to be contributing to the recent increase in auto crash frequency, particularly as more states liberalize their marijuana laws.
Yet, according to the new PCI poll, just 31% of parents have discussed the dangers of driving under the influence of marijuana with their children, which pales in comparison to parents who have discussed:
- Wearing a seatbelt all/most of the time (67%).
- Texting while driving (60%).
- Speeding while driving (54%).
- Talking on cell phone while driving (50%).
- Using social media while driving (40%).
"Parents need to discuss the dangers of driving under the influence of marijuana with their teenagers," Gordon continued. "As more states liberalize their marijuana laws, it is critical that the public become more aware of the dangers of driving high. And that awareness campaign should start at home, with conversations between parents and their children about safe driving."
Victoria Prussen Spears, Esq., ([email protected]) is associate director of FC&S Legal, editor of the Insurance Coverage Law Report, and senior vice president at Meyerowitz Communications Inc.
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