Did you know that driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal? Even though the drug itself is slowly becoming legal in different cities and states across the country, it will always be illegal to drive under its influence. Just like with drinking alcohol, marijuana impairs your brain and makes it so it is not safe for you to be behind the wheel. Here is a deeper look at just how dangerous driving under the influence of marijuana can really be.

Why Marijuana Is Dangerous

When marijuana enters your system, it impairs your judgment. It slows down your reaction and your motor coordination, and it makes it more challenging for you to determine distance and time. These can all lead to bad situations when you are just sitting in your home, but when you are behind the wheel, these effects can quickly become life threatening.

If you can’t react quickly when something happens, you might crash. If you can’t properly stay in your lane, you might crash. If you can’t determine how far away the car is in front of you, you might crash. If you get pulled over driving under the influence of marijuana, you might get a DUI. Clearly, you don’t want to risk getting behind the wheel with marijuana in your bloodstream.

Statistics About Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana

We can preach all we want, but it is often the proven statistics that really hit home. Here are some of the most recent stats regarding marijuana and driving:

• According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana is the most common illicit drug found in drivers who have been in a fatal crash.
• Drivers with THC in their system—the chemical that makes people high from marijuana—were 50 percent more likely to be in a fatal crash than drivers who have not used any alcohol or drugs.
• There is a direct correlation between the states that have legalized marijuana and the number of fatal crashes within them, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute.
• Only 31 percent of parents have talked to their teenagers about the dangers of marijuana and driving.
• The driver who was responsible for the recent car crash in Vermont that killed five teenagers was under the influence of marijuana.

What Can Be Done?

The issue falls in the lapse between the dangers of driving under the influence of marijuana and the education about it. Only 40 percent of people believe that marijuana use could be contributing to the increase in car accidents; however, the stats prove that there is, in fact, a direct correlation. So what can be done? Education. Educating both new drivers, current drivers, and parents of new drivers about the undeniable risks of driving under the influence of marijuana is the answer.

At Fresh Green Light, we take our responsibility to put new drivers on the road very seriously. As such, we always stress just how dangerous it is to drive under the influence of any substance, whether that be alcohol, marijuana, or something else. To learn more about the top driving school that cares about your safety, contact us now.