Study Shows People Believe Texting and Driving is More Dangerous than Driving High
People are so used to driving that they are willing to do all sorts of extra curricular activities while they speed down the road in a vehicle that can weigh more than a ton. The dangers of people driving high is now a regular debate, whereas before marijuana started becoming legal, hardly anyone ever even mentioned it.
A poll recently conducted suggests that people think texting and driving is more dangerous than driving high. Laws have become stricter concerning accidents where cell phone distractions are the core reason for the collision, but determining whether someone is even under the psychoactive effects of THC is still a mystery.
Ninety-one percent of Americans believe driving while under the influence of marijuana is dangerous and 87 percent believe people who do so pose a danger to others on the road. However, just 40 percent of respondents believe driving while high is a contributing factor to more motor vehicle accidents, according to the survey.
In 2016, as many as 40,000 people died from motor vehicle accidents, a six percent increase from 2015, according to the National Safety Council. A survey by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration from 2013 to 2014 also found a drastic increase in the number of drivers under the influence of marijuana.
Despite marijuana’s effect on a person’s motor functions, more Americans think using social media (99 percent) and texting (98 percent) while driving is more dangerous than driving under the influence of marijuana (91 percent). Researchers haven’t been able to definitively connect marijuana use with more frequent real-world crashes, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. However, according to WebMD, side effects of using marijuana include dizziness and slowed reaction time, which can affect how someone reacts to an emergency while driving.
None of the sobriety tests that have been invented have proven to be able to definitively determine whether someone is driving high. If authorities finally find a way to definitively tell whether someone is high on marijuana while driving, will it be reasonable for laws to put full liability for the accident on the person driving high?
read more at usnews.com
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