NHTSA Report Shows Drivers Safer Stoned Than Drunk.

By: Jay Tiftickjian. Guest Writer & Attorney.

 

 

Drivers who have been drinking alcohol have a greater chance of being in an accident than drivers who have been smoking marijuana. Safe driving is essential for our communities, and no one wants dangerous drivers to get behind the wheel, but there is minimal evidence to say that getting stoned makes you more dangerous. Drivers  Safer Stoned Than Drunk.

Several recent studies are confirming that driving under the influence of marijuana is much safer than driving after you have been consuming alcohol. A drunk driver can be four more times likely to crash their car. However a stoned driver may only be five percent more likely to crash-when age and gender factors are taken into consideration.  Cannabis users who get behind the wheel are unfairly targeted for their lifestyle when there is only minimal evidence that driving while stoned actually puts them or others at risk. Police should be targeting genuine causes of traffic incidents and working to reduce the problems that are more likely to lead to injury or death.

The current laws in Colorado dictate that if you have a certain amount of THC in your blood, than you are a dangerous driver. However two recent studies by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reveal that this does not provide an accurate indication of the driver’s level of impairment. An individual with THC in their blood may or may not be more dangerous than the average driver, yet this THC level is used to identify an impaired driver.

 

Tackling the causes of traffic accidents is important for our country, however it needs to be done using accurate scientific rationale. The current practices have no correlation with science and are unfairly discriminatory towards users of cannabis who are causing little to no level of harm on our roads. Alcohol has been proven to be detrimental to people who consume it and then get behind the wheel. There is no doubt that this is a concern to our society; however the same concern does not apply to users of cannabis.

 

Accurate tests need to be introduced, if laws are going to continue to target drug users. If the presence of THC in your blood is not an accurate measure of driver impairment, as proven by scientific studies, a new strategy needs to be introduced. The current practices penalize marijuana users for no adequate reason, waste tax payers’ dollars, and are not working to create a safer environment on our roads.

 

Anyone who has been accused of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs should contact a criminal defense/DUI attorney as soon as possible to retain legal representation. Drivers Safer Stoned Than Drunk.

 

 

Editors Note: This does not constitute as legal advice and Empire State NORML does not condone the operating any vehicle under the influence of any substance. The author of  'Drivers Safer Stoned Than Drunk' is a guest writer working in CO and not directly affiliated with the chapter. Jay Tiftickjian the guest writer of ' Drivers Safer Stoned Than Drunk'. He is a trial lawyer, author, and legal analyst. One of the Colorado’s top DUI defense attorneys, Tiftickjian has received extensive training in DUI techniques and has been called upon multiple times to organize Colorado Criminal Defense Bar seminars specialized to DUI Defense. Tiftickjian is an elected member of the board for the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar. He has also been named Barrister’s Best DUI lawyer in 2012 and 2013 as well as People’s Choice - Best DUI Lawyer in 2013 and 2014. Author of several authoritative books, including “Colorado DUI Defense: The Law and Practice,” “Facing a DUI Charge in Colorado: What You Need to Know,” and the “Colorado DUI Defense Manual,”. Tiftickjian’s works are widely used and consulted by practitioners.

Jay Tiftickjian article.: Drivers Safer Stoned Than Drunk. http://www.9news.com/story/news/local/2015/02/10/study-stoned-drivers-are-safer-than-drunk-drivers/23215959/

 Drivers Safer Stoned Than Drunk.