Driving under the influence

[TridenT]

Originally posted by: Bateluer
Driving under any mind altering substances is stupid. You may have the right to endanger your life, but not the lives of other drivers on the road.

If you want to smoke weed, do it within the privacy of your own home, not in your car.

I agree.

 

[Bignate603]

The vast majority of the population can't drive sober. Anything that impacts their ability to think should be against the law.

 

[hellokeith]

It's a terrible idea, and I'd rather there be drunk drivers than stoned drivers. The drunk drivers want to get where they are going, the stoned ones don't care.

 

[Babbles]

Originally posted by: Eli
How many people are prescribed opiates in the US? They're all driving around. I would be far more worried about this than marijuana.

I believe those prescriptions contain warnings not to "operate machinery" which includes driving. Therefore to drive while hopped up on opiates is unlawful not unlike being hopped upon marijuana. Also opiates may not necessarily have neurotoxitcity contrasted with marijuana which does indeed have neurological effects.

This is called driving under the influence and as far as I am concerned if one is 'influenced' by a substance then I don't give a rat's ass where that influence comes from.

 

[TridenT]

Originally posted by: Bignate603
The vast majority of the population can't drive sober. Anything that impacts their ability to think should be against the law.

Very true!

 

[iskim86]

i'm opposed to it, but i just love how my friends got high, got into one's SUV, and went off-roading at a construction site.

 

[BrokenVisage]

Originally posted by: The Boston Dangler

Originally posted by: I Saw OJ

Originally posted by: Whisper
Marijuana, to the best of my knowledge, has been shown to adversely affect various cognitive abilities, including memory and processing speed. That being the case, driving while under its influence would be a no no.

This

How do you guys figure its less dangerous than booze?

the degree of impairment is a night and day difference.

Exactly. To me, somebody who is always on their cell phone when they drive is more of a danger then someone who is stoned. And if you seriously think being drunk and stoned while driving are equal dangerously than you've never one or both.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Babbles

Originally posted by: Eli
How many people are prescribed opiates in the US? They're all driving around. I would be far more worried about this than marijuana.

I believe those prescriptions contain warnings not to "operate machinery" which includes driving. Therefore to drive while hopped up on opiates is unlawful not unlike being hopped upon marijuana. Also opiates may not necessarily have neurotoxitcity contrasted with marijuana which does indeed have neurological effects.

This is called driving under the influence and as far as I am concerned if one is 'influenced' by a substance then I don't give a rat's ass where that influence comes from.

No, No.. I agree..

I'm just putting it out there as something to think about. Is it bad? Yes.

Is it a big deal? IMO, no.

When someone is drunk, you know they're drunk. There are people around you that are high on marijuana all day, every day.. and you would never know.

There is a distinction. It's just interesting our perceptions of a "drug" and "impairing judgment". Like I said, someones' cognitive abilities differ from day to day. Just think about that for a moment.

Drinking impairs everybody to a large extent. Marijuana impairs everybody to a small extent.

If my "cognitive driving function" is rated at an 8/10, and smoking brings it down to a 7, am I worse than the ditzy blond that only scores 4/10?

I know that's completely arbitrary and stupid, but it's basically what I'm trying to say. I think it should be frowned upon, but in the grand scheme of things, meh.

I would be more worried about someone driving to 7-11 at 12am high on Nyquil.

 

[ebaycj]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Babbles

Originally posted by: Eli
How many people are prescribed opiates in the US? They're all driving around. I would be far more worried about this than marijuana.

I believe those prescriptions contain warnings not to "operate machinery" which includes driving. Therefore to drive while hopped up on opiates is unlawful not unlike being hopped upon marijuana. Also opiates may not necessarily have neurotoxitcity contrasted with marijuana which does indeed have neurological effects.

This is called driving under the influence and as far as I am concerned if one is 'influenced' by a substance then I don't give a rat's ass where that influence comes from.

No, No.. I agree..

I'm just putting it out there as something to think about. Is it bad? Yes.

Is it a big deal? IMO, no.

When someone is drunk, you know they're drunk. There are people around you that are high on marijuana all day, every day.. and you would never know.

There is a distinction. It's just interesting our perceptions of a "drug" and "impairing judgment". Like I said, someones' cognitive abilities differ from day to day. Just think about that for a moment.

Drinking impairs everybody to a large extent. Marijuana impairs everybody to a small extent.

If my "cognitive driving function" is rated at an 8/10, and smoking brings it down to a 7, am I worse than the ditzy blond that only scores 4/10?

I know that's completely arbitrary and stupid, but it's basically what I'm trying to say. I think it should be frowned upon, but in the grand scheme of things, meh.

I would be more worried about someone driving to 7-11 at 12am high on Nyquil.

What happens when the ditzy blonde drives while high ?

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: ebaycj
What happens when the ditzy blonde drives while high ?

That goes along perfectly well with my overall point, everyone is different. In the grand scheme of things, smoking marijuana is no worse than the dozen other things that might distract you from the road on a day to day basis.

Very rarely do you hear about anybody getting into an accident where marijuana or any other prescription or OTC medication was the contributing factor. That has to count for something.

If marijuana is implicated, they were usually drinking also. Marijuana makes you paranoid. That's part of the high. This causes you to drive paranoid. That's actually a good thing.

I'd like to do a test on myself sometime..

Go to the track, do a couple of runs.. and then get baked out of my skull, and do a couple of more.. It would be interesting to see what it did to my Reaction Time and overall stats.

I don't doubt it would be worse, but I would be willing to bet that it's within my normal range, and that it would be statistically insignificant. It could go either way, honestly. Might even be better while stoned.

 

[imported_mateo]

Would you fly in an airplane knowing the pilot was stoned??

The problem is not that YOU might get hurt, its that you might hurt someone else.

There was a well loved member of this forum that got screwed because of someone elses bad decision about driving while intoxicated. Remember?

Alcohol, drugs, it does not matter. If you are intoxicated you should avoid navigating several thousand pounds of steel at a high rate of speed.

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK
it's not nearly as bad as driving drunk.

I'd "rather" (note the decision to be made) drive really stoned than just moderatly drunk.

I'd rather not do either, if given the option, but in my past experience, unless Im completely blazed off some killer hydro, I'm still a better driver than most people when they've only had a few drinks.

i still say its irresponsible either way.

Eh, I'd rather be in the car of someone who's had a few drinks than someone who's stoned.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: JS80

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK
it's not nearly as bad as driving drunk.

I'd "rather" (note the decision to be made) drive really stoned than just moderatly drunk.

I'd rather not do either, if given the option, but in my past experience, unless Im completely blazed off some killer hydro, I'm still a better driver than most people when they've only had a few drinks.

i still say its irresponsible either way.

Eh, I'd rather be in the car of someone who's had a few drinks than someone who's stoned.

Having a few drinks != being drunk for most people.

I wouldn't care either way in that case, but I would much, much rather drive with someone who is stoned than someone who is truly drunk.

If I drove you around I guarantee you would not be able to tell me whether I was stoned or not.. lol.

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: JS80

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK
it's not nearly as bad as driving drunk.

I'd "rather" (note the decision to be made) drive really stoned than just moderatly drunk.

I'd rather not do either, if given the option, but in my past experience, unless Im completely blazed off some killer hydro, I'm still a better driver than most people when they've only had a few drinks.

i still say its irresponsible either way.

Eh, I'd rather be in the car of someone who's had a few drinks than someone who's stoned.

Having a few drinks != being drunk for most people.

I wouldn't care either way in that case, but I would much, much rather drive with someone who is stoned than someone who is truly drunk.

If I drove you around I guarantee you would not be able to tell me whether I was stoned or not.. lol.

haha yea i hear you. and i agree with you about the stoned thing that it depends on the person. for example, i probably would not be able to even make it to the car stoned, but i could get home and wake up in my bed the next morning wondering how the fuck i got home only to realize i drove home drunk (NO i don't do that anymore haha).

 

[Zee]

I don't know how people do this. I think it's easier to drive home drunk then high

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

Originally posted by: Zee
I don't know how people do this. I think it's easier to drive home drunk then high

The problem is that drunk drivers think they can still drive perfectly well, and often think they aren't that drunk yet. A stoned driver drives slowly and relaxed, a drunk driver drives agressively and doesn't notice others that much.

How many people die to stoned hit-and-run drivers compared to drunk ones?

Either is stupid, and I drink nor smoke, but alcohol is definately a more dangerous drug. You don't get huge fights between people getting stoned, but you have them every weekend between people drinking alcohol. You don't get guys beating up their kids and/or wife when stoned, but it happens every day with drunks.

 

[Rufus12]

Originally posted by: Zee
I don't know how people do this. I think it's easier to drive home drunk then high

And you know this from personal experience?

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Skyclad1uhm1

Originally posted by: Zee
I don't know how people do this. I think it's easier to drive home drunk then high

The problem is that drunk drivers think they can still drive perfectly well, and often think they aren't that drunk yet. A stoned driver drives slowly and relaxed, a drunk driver drives agressively and doesn't notice others that much.

How many people die to stoned hit-and-run drivers compared to drunk ones?

Either is stupid, and I drink nor smoke, but alcohol is definately a more dangerous drug. You don't get huge fights between people getting stoned, but you have them every weekend between people drinking alcohol. You don't get guys beating up their kids and/or wife when stoned, but it happens every day with drunks.

Bah, I've seen people who drive slower when drunk, and people who drive faster. I've seen people who drive less aggressive, and people who drive more aggressive when drunk.

In my experience (usually, but not always), women will tend to drive slower when drunk and men faster and more aggressive.

Some people swerve a lot, others do not. Some people get double vision, others do not. How a person drives when drunk is about as individual as they are.

As for statistics, you would be right, but only because more people drink than do illegal drugs.

http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k8/stateDUI/stateDUI.cfm

As for me, it is virtually impossible for me to drive drunk. When I am just over the old legal limit of .1 I get bad double vision that is most noticable if I try to focus like when reading or trying to see where I'm going.

And I know from experience when I smoked pot as a teen that pot GREATLY lowers your reaction times and skews your perpective.

 

[meltdown75]

Driving under the influence of anything is irresponsible!

that said, i'm a better driver when under the influence of pot. *shrug*

drinking and driving is terrible... having a few and driving is one thing, but you have to know when to draw the line. even with a few beers in me, i'll a) listen to my tunes louder or b) drive faster. not good

toke me up and i will drive clear across this world and simultaneously give driver's ed instructions.

 

[jlee]

No one should drive while under the influence of an intoxicating substance..

Originally posted by: meltdown75
Driving under the influence of anything is irresponsible!

that said, i'm a better driver when under the influence of pot. *shrug*

drinking and driving is terrible... having a few and driving is one thing, but you have to know when to draw the line. even with a few beers in me, i'll a) listen to my tunes louder or b) drive faster. not good

toke me up and i will drive clear across this world and simultaneously give driver's ed instructions.

Shens. People say that about driving when they're drunk also.

 

[schizoid77]

I think the DMV should give out specific licenses to people who have proven without a doubt that they can drive perfectly fine under the influence of X number of beers. Same should go for marijuana if it were ever legalized.

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: schizoid77
I think the DMV should give out specific licenses to people who have proven without a doubt that they can drive perfectly fine under the influence of X number of beers. Same should go for marijuana if it were ever legalized.

And how exactly do you plan on determining how much MJ was actually smoked?

 

[schizoid77]

Well, if they can give breathalyzers and determine your BAC, maybe then can come up with something for THC.

Either way, this license would show exactly how much of that substance you're allowed to have in your system at the time of driving. If you're over, ticket, if you're not, have a good night!

 

[imported_Imp]

Originally posted by: Eli

The thing that people who don't smoke marijuana don't understand is that it is self compensating. Your reaction time is slower, but you drive slower because of this. You are extremely aware of your surroundings, and it feels like you're going faster than you are. The old stereotype of someone going 10mph under the speed limit because they're higher than a kite is very true. You space off, and forget to press the accelerator so hard.. :laugh:

There are people on the road that are far more spacey that aren't under the influence of any substance.......

While I personally am not in such a hurry I feel like I have to blitz past everything... I know of people who'd say that going 'slow' is 'dangerous' in it's own right.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Imp

Originally posted by: Eli

The thing that people who don't smoke marijuana don't understand is that it is self compensating. Your reaction time is slower, but you drive slower because of this. You are extremely aware of your surroundings, and it feels like you're going faster than you are. The old stereotype of someone going 10mph under the speed limit because they're higher than a kite is very true. You space off, and forget to press the accelerator so hard.. :laugh:

There are people on the road that are far more spacey that aren't under the influence of any substance.......

While I personally am not in such a hurry I feel like I have to blitz past everything... I know of people who'd say that going 'slow' is 'dangerous' in it's own right.

That's silly. Driving slow isn't dangerous. You should always only drive as fast as you feel comfortable for the conditions. That's only common sense.

The only scenario where it could be dangerous is if someone else isn't paying attention and rear ends you or something, but let's be realistic here - you aren't going to be going 25mph under the speed limit on the interstate unless you're asleep. lol