Drugs behind the wheel as dangerous as alcohol

There is much research and awareness about the consequences of driving after drinking alcohol. But what about other substances? Would you be a passenger in a car being driven by someone who has smoked marijuana? How about someone who is currently on prescription drugs? How about someone under the influence of some kind of stimulant, such as methamphetamine? The Partnership of Community Resources wanted to find out.

We partnered with the statistics students at Douglas High School this past spring to find answers to these, as well as other issues involved in drugged driving. These students surveyed 444 Douglas County residents ranging in age from 18-65 plus, surveyed at a variety of locations. Here is what they found.

First, the students asked respondents how dangerous they think it is to drive under the influence of alcohol versus driving under the influence of other drugs. Eighty-four percent stated they are equally dangerous. Nine percent stated that alcohol is more dangerous than other drugs, and 4 percent feel that other drugs are more dangerous than alcohol.

Then the question was narrowed down a bit, asking specifically about marijuana versus alcohol. This time, only 68 percent thought they were equally dangerous. Twenty-six percent thought alcohol was more dangerous than driving under the influence of marijuana versus the 9 percent when considering all drugs. And 3 percent thought driving under the influence of marijuana was more dangerous than driving under the influence of alcohol. Twenty-nine percent stated they would indeed be a passenger of a driver under the influence of marijuana (21 percent state they already have).

Just how dangerous is it to drive under the influence? The students asked the respondents to rate how dangerous it is to drive under the influence of alcohol (93 percent thought it was extremely or moderately dangerous), under the influence of prescription drugs (71 percent thought it was extremely or moderately dangerous), under the influence of marijuana (77 percent thought it was extremely or moderately dangerous), and driving under the influence of other illegal drugs (91 percent thought it is extremely or moderately dangerous).

It is interesting to note that, although 71 percent think it is extremely or moderately dangerous to drive under the influence of prescription drugs, 43 percent admit to doing just that. Nineteen percent of respondents who take prescription drugs admit that when it comes to following the warning label advising against driving while taking a particular medication, they never or rarely follow that warning.

The drugs having the most negative impact on driving, according to the survey respondents, are alcohol (91 percent stated this substance), methamphetamine (90 percent), and hallucinogens (90 percent). Yet, 12 percent of respondents admit to having driven under the influence of these substances. When asked about how old they were when they drove under the influence, the majority of respondents stated they were between the age of 18 and 25. When asked at what age they think most people drive under the influence, this same age group was cited by most respondents.

Research tells us that marijuana affects depth perception, reaction time, coordination, and alertness. These are all important skills to have when operating a car. Yet, respondents did not identify marijuana as one of the top drugs having a negative impact on driving. And, due to its widespread use, it is one of the drugs most likely to be on the road, so to speak. A study was conducted by researchers with the Civic Research Institute in 2008 to test the impact of driving under the influence of alcohol versus marijuana. Using a driving simulator under multiple conditions with both control groups and groups under the influence, the researchers concluded that both alcohol and THC in marijuana are hazardous to safe driving. Both THC and alcohol-impaired drivers, but not the control groups, showed significantly impaired lane position and control. In the 84 experimental driving sessions, there were 20 collisions.

So what does all this mean?

The bottom line is that all drivers need to consider the conditions and circumstances before getting behind the wheel of a car. Just because alcohol receives more attention than other drugs does not lessen the seriousness of driving under the influence of other substances. Let's all make sure that we are alert, sober, and drug free each time we drive. The roads will be safer for it.

Martie Washington is prevention education coordinator for the Partnership of Community Resources.