Fatal Crashes Linked To Drugs On The Rise

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/ ^ | 5/31/18

[BBell]

CHICAGO (CBS) — A startling new report finds a dramatic rise in the number of deadly driving accidents involving drugs, including prescription medication.

Ron Edwards was riding his motorcycle in 2015 when a driver ran a red light and killed him. Police in Colorado say the driver of the car had marijuana in his system.

Earlier this year, Ron’s fiancee Barb talked about the crash.

“I just don’t want this to happen to somebody else.”

There’s an increase in deadly crashes involving drug use,according to a new report from the Governor’s Highway Safety Association or GHSA.

In 2016 alcohol was involved in 38 percent of driver deaths, while 44 percent of drivers killed tested positive for drugs. That’s a jump from just 28 percent who tested positive for drugs in 2006.

More than half of the drivers had marijuana, opioids, or a combination of the two in their system.

[Moonman62]

The Libertarian Legacy.

[BeadCounter]

I agree with you. That is actually a correct answer.

Texters create havoc on the highways.

[ltc8k6]

“So zero tolerance for booze and pot, IOW a BAC of zero and a zero for THC. Wouldn’t bother me a bit.”

Well, we can’t (yet) tell at what levels pot impairs your driving.

We know alcohol pretty well in that department.

[cicero2k]

Does anyone know of a study when they take volunteers with known quantities of active THC in bloodstream and run them through a slalom driving course and count the traffic cones knocked over?

Seems simple, and has been done many time by universities and insurance companies for alcohol, but not for THC?

[zeugma]

That's a pretty meaningless statement in and of itself. Marijuana can remain in your "system" weeks or even months after any psychoactive effect has disappeared. THC is fat soluble.

Exactly. This is scare mongering, though it generally remains detectable for about a month.

[BBell]

I remember an alcohol vs. marijuana driving test was done using university students in Australia. It was done at a time when it would have been illegal to do here as we had some draconian weed laws then.

When the Australians did it it was a humorous grad student study like setting.

[G Larry]

We’re asking the wrong questions about pot

>http://politicsdiscussion.com/2018/05/27/were-asking-the-wrong-questions-about-pot/<


MAY 27, 2018 BY STEVESCHULIN