Pubdate: Sun, 15 Nov 2015
Source: Oklahoman, The (OK)
Copyright: 2015 The Oklahoma Publishing Co.
Contact: http://www.newsok.com/voices/guidelines
Website: http://newsok.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/318
Author: Marx Wheatley, BrandInsight Contributor

Pot on the Roads

HIGH DRIVERS ARE JUST AS THREATENING TO OKLAHOMA ROAD SAFETY AS DRUNK DRIVERS

Marijuana Is the No. 1 Drug Found in Drivers Who Tested Positive for 
Drugs in Oklahoma, According to the Osbi

As more states legalize marijuana for recreational use, concern rises 
about the risk of people getting behind the wheel while high. While 
many supporters point to the potential positive impact on economics 
that legalization in Oklahoma could hold, law enforcement officers 
who are faced with the deadly outcomes of driving while under the 
influence of marijuana or other drugs during their work point to the risks.

"We have certainly experienced drivers intoxicated by marijuana while 
working the roads," said Capt. Ronnie Hampton of the Oklahoma Highway 
Patrol. "Typically what we see is an individual who has severely 
delayed reaction times, inhibiting their ability to react to warning 
signs, traffic signals, or even objects or persons in the roadway."

Marijuana is the No. 1 drug found in drivers who tested positive for 
drugs in Oklahoma, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of 
Investigation. The top five drugs detected in impaired drivers 
arrested in Oklahoma are marijuana, methamphetamine, diazepam, 
alprazolam and hydrocodone, illustrating the fact that both elicit 
and prescription drugs contribute to Oklahoma's impaired driving problem.

Drivers high on marijuana show different driving behaviors, but are 
just as dangerous as drivers under the influence of alcohol.

"Often times, when a crash occurs, the marijuana impaired driver may 
be driving below the speed limit, but when a crash occurs at highway 
speeds, it's the change of speed that will cause injuries and death," he said.

In fact, the latest national highway safety statistics suggest that 
the number of drivers testing positive for pot has increased 
dramatically. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 
Roadside Survey, conducted in 2014, found that the number of drivers 
with marijuana in their systems went up nearly 50 percent since 2007, 
increasing from 8.6 percent in 2007 to 12.6 percent in 2014. Nearly 
one in four drivers tested positive for at least one drug that could 
impair their ability to drive and affect safety.

Meanwhile, the survey - in which Oklahoma drivers participated - also 
found that the number of drivers with alcohol in their system has 
declined by nearly one-third since 2007.

ENDUI advocates believe that tougher laws, sobriety checkpoints and 
public education campaigns have helped reduce the number of cases of 
drunk driving by more than three-quarters since NHTSA began 
conducting roadside surveys in 1973.

"Officers in the field are becoming more effective at detecting 
drug-impaired drivers," said Toby Taylor, Interim Director of the 
Oklahoma Highway Safety Office. "This is due, in large part, to 
trainings such as Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement and 
Drug Recognition Expert."

Oklahoma officials are now exploring how to achieve the same results 
for drugged driving.

How marijuana affects your driving

"Drivers impaired by marijuana can show a variety of symptoms," said 
Hampton who is also a certified drug recognition expert. "Those who 
have used a lower concentration of THC, the intoxicating ingredient 
in marijuana, will exhibit a delayed response to questions, 
involuntary movements in their eyes, and bloodshot eyes. Often times, 
the person's tongue will have a green or brown coating on it and they 
will appear to be relaxed."

"Due to their higher THC concentration, those using oils and waxes 
may appear to be under the influence of a stimulant and mimic the 
symptoms observed with people using meth, such has hyperactivity, 
agitation, and elevated heart rate and blood pressure," Hampton added.

The negative effects of marijuana on drivers included an increase in 
lane weaving, poor reaction time, and lack of attention to the road. 
Use of alcohol with marijuana made drivers more impaired, causing 
even more lane weaving. While it affects users differently, it is 
still extremely hazardous for drivers and other traffic participants.

One complication to assessing crash risk of drivers who have used 
marijuana is that, although the high peaks within 30 minutes and is 
gone within three hours of ingestion, it can still be detected in the 
human body for hours and sometimes days after the high from smoking 
has dissipated. However, better-trained officers are able to spot the signs.

"We continue to research and identify new training opportunities for 
law enforcement officers statewide to better equip them with the 
tools they need to detect impairment in drivers," Taylor said. "Our 
overarching goal is to have as many officers as we can train in the 
latest, greatest methods."

Would legal pot affect Oklahoma's roads?

Oklahoma law enforcement agencies have been vocal about their 
concerns that as legalization of marijuana expands across the 
country, Oklahoma's roads could experience the negative impact - as 
Colorado case studies suggest. Approximately one in every eight 
citations issued by the Colorado State Patrol for impaired driving 
involved suspected marijuana use during the first year of legal 
marijuana in the state, according to new statistics from the agency.

The numbers have added to an ongoing debate over whether marijuana 
legalization has made Colorado's roads less safe.

In 2014, the Colorado State Patrol reported that troopers issued 
5,546 citations for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 
Of those, roughly 12 percent involved suspected marijuana use.

Confusion about laws may play a role. Even after the Colorado agency 
spent $1 million on the "Drive High, Get a DUI" ad campaign, the 
state patrol found that 21 percent of recreational marijuana 
consumers claimed they didn't know they could be cited for driving 
under the influence of marijuana.

Buying it legally out of state doesn't mean use is legal in Oklahoma

One topic hotly debated by people who are in favor of legal use of 
marijuana are Oklahoma's tough laws. In Oklahoma, DUI-D laws apply to 
any amount of a schedule 1 drug. If you drive under the influence any 
drug - legal or illegal, including any substance or medication that 
can impair your ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. It's not 
an acceptable defense to a drug impaired driving charge to claim that 
the driver is legally entitled to use the controlled substance 
because it was purchased with a medical prescription in another state 
or was brought back from a recreational trip to Colorado.

"Our vision is to create and maintain an environment where Oklahoma 
roadways are safe for everyone," said Taylor. "We continue to gain a 
better understanding of the increasing role drugs - including 
illicit, prescription and over the counter drugs -are playing in 
impaired driving in our state. All impaired driving crashes are 100 
percent preventable and we intend to do all we can to expand our 
efforts to reduce the incidence of these crashes."

Oklahoma law enforcement and mental health agencies have allocated 
significant resources to the education and prevention of driving 
under the influence of drugs in recent years, including the state's 
ENDUI campaign. If you have questions about driving under the 
influence of marijuana in Oklahoma, or are looking for resources, 
visit the ENDUI resources webpage.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom