Safety Counts

Drugged driving is impaired driving. But not everyone knows that. Among cannabis users, most think that marijuana does not impair their driving. In fact, some believe that cannabis use actually improves their driving and when asked when they were high, they were more likely to say they were fine to drive. They can’t. Marijuana impairs psychomotor skills and cognitive functions associated with driving, including vigilance, time and distance perception, lane tracking, motor coordination, divided attention tasks, and reaction time.* Many drugs impair driving, including prescription medication, methamphetamine or cocaine, opioids, and sedatives. The New Mexico Department of Transportation’s ENDWI+ campaign is designed to bring awareness to the dangers of driving impaired on all drugs, legal and illegal.

In 2016, 44% of fatally-injured drivers with known results tested positive for drugs, up from 28% just 10 years prior.1

56% of drivers involved in serious injury and fatal crashes tested positive for at least one drug.2

In 2019,12.8% million people aged 16 or older reported driving under the influence of illicit drugs in the past year.3

Among high school seniors in the United States,12% reported driving after using marijuana, and 5%reported driving after using prescription drugs . 4

After legalization of Cannabis in Washington state, the average number of THC-positive drivers involved in a fatal crash jumped from 56 per year to130.5

*Capler, R., Bilsker, D., Van Pelt, K., et al. (2017). Cannabis Use and Driving: Evidence Review. Canadian Drug Policy Coalition. CDPC Cannabis and Driving Evidence Review

References:

1. Hedlund, Jim. “Drug-Impaired Driving: Marijuana and Opioids Raise Critical Issues for States.” Drug-Impaired Driving, Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), May 2018, Drug-Impaired Driving Overview

2. “Drug-Impaired Driving.” Drug-Impaired Driving, National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), CDPC Cannabis and Driving Evidence Review

3. “Drugged Driving Infographic.” National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 3 Feb. 2023, Drugged Driving Infographic

4. O’Malley, Patrick M, and Lloyd D Johnston. “Driving after Drug or Alcohol Use by US High School Seniors, 2001-2011.” American Journal of Public Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Nov. 2013, Driving After Drug or Alchohol Use by US HS Seniors

5. “AAA Researches Marijuana in Fatal Crashes after Legalization.” AAA Researches Marijuana in Fatal Crashes after Legalization, AAA, 30 Jan. 2020, Driving After Drug or Alchohol Use by US HS Seniors