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PETITION –STOP MARIJUANA-IMPAIRED DRIVING!
This petition will be delivered to the:
Honorable Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of Transportation
National Governors Association,
National Council on State Legislators (NSCL)
WHEREAS: Marijuana significantly impairs a driver’s judgment, motor coordination, and reaction time;
WHEREAS: Multiple studies have demonstrated that drivers with any amount of THC in their blood were approximately twice as likely to cause a fatal crash as drivers without any drugs in their blood;
WHEREAS: Combining marijuana with alcohol dramatically increases the risk of a crash;
WHEREAS: Instamotor found 39 percent of surveyed marijuana users felt comfortable driving high in the nine states where the drug has been legalized, while 55 percent of Colorado marijuana users reported they felt driving after use was safe in a separate Colorado Department of Transportation survey;
WHEREAS: An analysis of insurance claims in Colorado, Oregon and Washington by the Highway Loss Data Institute found crashes were up 16 percent in Colorado, 6.2 percent in Washington, and 4.5 percent in Oregon since marijuana was legalized in those states;
WHEREAS: The percentage of American drivers killed in car crashes who tested positive for drugs now exceeds those killed in crashes who tested positive for alcohol according to a report by the Governors Highway Safety Association;
BE IT RESOLVED: We urge You to support increased public education on the dangers of marijuana-impaired driving and provide more tools for law enforcement to prevent additional drugged driving tragedies.
Sources:
https://instamotor.com/blog/marijuana-high-at-work-survey
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/does-marijuana-use-affect-driving
https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/motr/combining-cannabis-and-alcohol-amplifies-crash-risks.html
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/21/auto-crashes-are-on-the-rise-in-marijuana-states.html
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/drugged-driving-rise-passes-alcohol-alone-fatal-crashes-study-finds-n751681
https://www.vaildaily.com/news/cdot-survey-more-than-half-of-colorado-marijuana-users-think-its-safe-to-drive-while-high/
https://injepijournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40621-017-0105-z
This petition will be delivered to the:
Honorable Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of Transportation
National Governors Association,
National Council on State Legislators (NSCL)
WHEREAS: Marijuana significantly impairs a driver’s judgment, motor coordination, and reaction time;
WHEREAS: Multiple studies have demonstrated that drivers with any amount of THC in their blood were approximately twice as likely to cause a fatal crash as drivers without any drugs in their blood;
WHEREAS: Combining marijuana with alcohol dramatically increases the risk of a crash;
WHEREAS: Instamotor found 39 percent of surveyed marijuana users felt comfortable driving high in the nine states where the drug has been legalized, while 55 percent of Colorado marijuana users reported they felt driving after use was safe in a separate Colorado Department of Transportation survey;
WHEREAS: An analysis of insurance claims in Colorado, Oregon and Washington by the Highway Loss Data Institute found crashes were up 16 percent in Colorado, 6.2 percent in Washington, and 4.5 percent in Oregon since marijuana was legalized in those states;
WHEREAS: The percentage of American drivers killed in car crashes who tested positive for drugs now exceeds those killed in crashes who tested positive for alcohol according to a report by the Governors Highway Safety Association;
BE IT RESOLVED: We urge You to support increased public education on the dangers of marijuana-impaired driving and provide more tools for law enforcement to prevent additional drugged driving tragedies.
https://instamotor.com/blog/marijuana-high-at-work-survey
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/does-marijuana-use-affect-driving
https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/motr/combining-cannabis-and-alcohol-amplifies-crash-risks.html
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/21/auto-crashes-are-on-the-rise-in-marijuana-states.html
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/drugged-driving-rise-passes-alcohol-alone-fatal-crashes-study-finds-n751681
https://www.vaildaily.com/news/cdot-survey-more-than-half-of-colorado-marijuana-users-think-its-safe-to-drive-while-high/
https://injepijournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40621-017-0105-z
It's Never OK To Drive High
Some states have now passed legislation legalizing marijuana. While these laws permit the use of marijuana, they all prohibit driving under its influence. Unfortunately, many people still perceive driving after marijuana use isn’t as dangerous as drinking and driving. But the insurance industry is already reporting higher collision claims in states with legal marijuana.
Impaired driving laws were written to deal with alcohol and generally do a poor job dealing with drugged driving. Therefore, drugged drivers frequently escape prosecution, which means no conviction, which means no punishment or accountability, which means no justice for the victim/survivor and no rehabilitation for the perpetrator, which means no protection for society.
Let's prevent these tragedies from happening:
20 year old, Hedaia and her unborn daughter, Madelynn Nicole, were killed in a car crash by a drugged driver. This driver tested positive for marijuana and yet was only charged with reckless driving.
Chase was a passenger in his own car when the driver lost control of the vehicle while changing lanes and collided with a tree. Chase died at the scene. After a toxicology report, it was shown that the driver had THC in her blood.
Rosemary was involved in a fatal multi-car crash when someone driving high swerved into oncoming traffic. She was 56. The driver responsible for it all would ultimately only serve 2.5 years in prison.
Brian and his wife, Erin, were traveling when an out of control SUV went airborne towards Brian's car. He quickly hit the brakes and swerved in an attempt to get out of the way, but put himself between the oncoming SUV and his pregnant wife. The SUV driver tested positive for marijuana, methamphetamine, and heroin. Brian would never get to see his baby daughter be born.
*We Save Lives does not take a position on the legalization of marijuana. We do take a position against drugged driving.
Some states have now passed legislation legalizing marijuana. While these laws permit the use of marijuana, they all prohibit driving under its influence. Unfortunately, many people still perceive driving after marijuana use isn’t as dangerous as drinking and driving. But the insurance industry is already reporting higher collision claims in states with legal marijuana.
Impaired driving laws were written to deal with alcohol and generally do a poor job dealing with drugged driving. Therefore, drugged drivers frequently escape prosecution, which means no conviction, which means no punishment or accountability, which means no justice for the victim/survivor and no rehabilitation for the perpetrator, which means no protection for society.
Let's prevent these tragedies from happening:
20 year old, Hedaia and her unborn daughter, Madelynn Nicole, were killed in a car crash by a drugged driver. This driver tested positive for marijuana and yet was only charged with reckless driving.
Chase was a passenger in his own car when the driver lost control of the vehicle while changing lanes and collided with a tree. Chase died at the scene. After a toxicology report, it was shown that the driver had THC in her blood.
Rosemary was involved in a fatal multi-car crash when someone driving high swerved into oncoming traffic. She was 56. The driver responsible for it all would ultimately only serve 2.5 years in prison.
Brian and his wife, Erin, were traveling when an out of control SUV went airborne towards Brian's car. He quickly hit the brakes and swerved in an attempt to get out of the way, but put himself between the oncoming SUV and his pregnant wife. The SUV driver tested positive for marijuana, methamphetamine, and heroin. Brian would never get to see his baby daughter be born.
Please sign the petition and let our legislators know that driving high is dangerous and that they have the power to stop it.
Click here to learn more about the effects of marijuana and driving.
Download the Marijuana-Impaired Driving Policy Statement authored by We Save Lives, DUID Victim Voices, and High Means DUI.
*We Save Lives does not take a position on the legalization of marijuana. We do take a position against drugged driving.