Marijuana Driving, Other Drug-Based DUIs on the Increase in California: Authorities Plan to Strike Back

By Dennis Romero Wed., Feb. 29 2012 at 9:03 AM

Dave 77459

While some studies have suggested marijuana-smoking drivers might be safer drivers, California officials this week stated that "drugged driving" fatalities in the state have been on the rise in recent years.

The state Office of Traffic Safety states (PDF) that "30 percent of all drivers who were killed in motor vehicle crashes in California in 2010 tested positive for legal and/or illegal drugs, a percentage that has been increasing since 2006."

Not only that, but ...

... the office notes that in fall of 2010 more people were found with marijuana in their systems (8.4 percent of the drivers contacted) than alcohol (7.6 percent) at nighttime roadside surveys conducted in six California cities.

Come to think of it, marijuana is pretty easy to get in contemporary Los Angeles, the nation's pot-shop capital.

The problem for cops is that it's not as easy to trace as alcohol. While you might fail a field sobriety test because you're stoned, no breathalyzer is going to detect marijuana in your system. And even if such detection were possible, there's no standardized schedule of intoxication like like there is with alcohol's blood-alcohol levels.

The office admits as much:

Drug-impaired driving is often under-reported and under-recognized and toxicology testing is expensive. Additionally, because there is no established impairment level for drugs, prosecuting drug impaired driving cases can be difficult.

The bad news for you stoners is that this could change:

OTS announced last month that Sacramento and Orange Counties were awarded federal funding to purchase state-of-the-art drug testing equipment. District Attorney Offices in eight counties are being funded to create special "vertical prosecution" teams that will follow drug-impaired driving cases from arrest through trial.

Awesome.

So remember, friends don't let friends get retarded behind the wheel.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

Tags:

drugged driving, DUI, marijuana, medical marijauana, Office of Traffic Stafety

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Karen

What exactly was tested for when marijuana was tested? Marijuana metabolites stay in one's system for weeks, so it could well be that few or none of those drivers were actually impaired if it was metabolites that were tested for. 7.86% of Californians 12 and up report having used marijuana in the past month. The usage rate is lower for those too young to drive (6.86% for those 12-17, with lower rates the lower the person is). Thus, among Californians of driving age, the percent of regular marijuana users is probably right about the percent that had marijuana in their system (which was 8.4%). If they tested for metabolites only, the presence of metabolites has nothing to do with whether the person was impaired. Even THC can stay in regular users long after impairment wears off: for as long as a week. In short the article gives us no meaningful information about how many people are actually driving while impaired by marijuana.

ABC

You know who was really good about keeping retarded people in check? Nazis. Is Dennis Romero a Nazi? I do not know.

J3j3t3

I am offended by your use of the word retarded. Retarded describes this article.

This is not your blog

Ah, another Dennis Romero opinion piece masquerading as news.

offramp

Dennis, some studies may have "suggested" marijuana smoking drivers might be safer, it was only by inference, not by proof. The latest scientific meta study of 49,411 people, found that drivers who consume cannabis within three hours of driving are nearly twice as likely to cause an crash as those who aren't under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

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Jonsims1959

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Yes. And you are 5 times the hazard talking on the phone. 25 time for texting. So to be fair and have your " logic" hold up we must imprison and prosecute people using their phones while driving. I want to see the same penalties applied so everyone convicted of "phoned driving" suffers the same life ruining crimanal records that the drug users get. Even more so as the risk is known to be greater. It's only fair and just.