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Abstract
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There has been an increase in prevalence of driving under the influence of cannabis (DUIC) and in fatal motor vehicle collisions in US states [1] and other countries following recreational cannabis legalization (e.g. Uruguay [2]; Canada [3]). Studies have found that acute cannabis intoxication is associated with a statistically significant increase in motor vehicle collision risk [4]. Cannabis impairs psychomotor skills critical to driving in both occasional and heavy users [5]. This is particularly concerning because of the increasing potency of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration linked with more severe withdrawal and motor impairment [6].
Despite the unequivocal evidence that cannabis acutely impairs driving-related skills and increases risk, public attitudes toward DUIC are highly permissive in the United States and in Australia, particularly among medical cannabis users [7]. DUIC is perceived as safe, normative and associated with fewer consequences than alcohol-impaired driving [8]. However, this may not extend to other countries with high prevalence of cannabis use [9-11]. As the prevalence of cannabis use and DUIC increases, challenging and correcting these perceptions is imperative for the new generations of drivers who also use cannabis. To this end, we need universal objective standards for DUIC, combined with consistent DUIC-specific offenses and sanctions, to ensure highway safety [5].
Many countries have achieved significant reductions in alcohol-impaired driving and fatalities through a combination of policy, law enforcement and public awareness campaigns [12]. Of these, perhaps the most successful has been per se blood alcohol concentration (BAC) legal limits, currently 0.08 in 49 US states and 0.05 in many industrialized nations [13]. Per se laws provide a clear, consistent standard for defining prohibited levels of alcohol-based impairment for driving and are thought to reduce alcohol-impaired driving by increasing the perceived risk of arrest [14], particularly when combined with visible enforcement...
Keywords: Cannabis impaired driving
Language: en |