Is drunk driving as bad as driving high?

Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 6:08 pm

Was just having a somewhat heated discussion on IRC about this subject and thought it would make for interesting debate.

It seems to me that the main argument is that driving drunk is worse because it is illegal. I also see points raised that booze slows reflexes and affects reaction times. All very valid truths.

However I don't think anyone should drive under the influence of any substance that affects reflexes. Everybody handles weed differently depending on their tolerance level but that is the same as booze. I also find legality a very moot point as well. A few years ago I was driving home on a three hour journey straight off a two week military exercise. I almost fell asleep at the wheel and hit the Acura in front which also happened to have kids in the back. I immediately pulled into services and slept in the car park. It scared me so badly that I will never drive any less than fully awake again and breathe a sigh of relief every time I think about it and a pang of guilt. That's the result of a mental near miss (in actuality it wasn't a near miss but the point is for a split second I wasn't in control). The two main points I am trying to get a cross is that firstly it is legal to drive tired but is argubly the worst thing you can do, and secondly, it can happen to anyone no matter how good a driver you consider yourself to be.

So my view is that we all know our own body and when we are not in a state to drive. If you are on any chemical substance then forget it.

We do have as many weed enthusiasts as drinkers though so figured it would be cool to get a complete picture.

Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 6:25 pm

Weed enthusiasts? Very Happy

I agree with you on most points however....

I don't think there are any circumstances where alcohol can make you a better driver. Whereas when I have a joint my multi-tasking abilities go out the window but when I concentrate on a specific topic or action I become one with it. I actually do some of my more mathematical exams for my engineering degree when I'm completely wasted (well not completely Very Happy

) but my concentration factor goes through the roof.

Driving while high is a different story (for me) than sitting an exam though as your surroundings are ever changing and so that red light might look so alluring that you forget to stop. But I have known people that are fantastic at driving while high, they just seem to go into a driving trance! I've never known anyone who was a good drunk driver though.

Regardless I'm completely for only driving when you sober, I just thought these were interesting points.

Edit: I voted yes but only because there was no option to say that drunk driving i worse that high driving (not just as bad as)

Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 7:37 pm

I wouldn't like to say which one is worse than the other.
when crash investigators use the distance a car will travel in the time your brake callipers take to grip on the disks as part of the equation, any substance that impacts on your reaction/reflexes is a no go.

A Shaved Wookie wrote:

But I have known people that are fantastic at driving while high, they just seem to go into a driving trance!

bro, are you sure you're not just as high as they where and it seemed like they were driving proficiently

a statistic for you, you are between 2 to 3 times more likely to have an accident drive in a fatigued state then a drunk driver

Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 8:15 pm

I think drink driving is more of a problem than pot driving.

Grog tends to make some folks feel bulletproof, aggressive and act impulsively.
Bad for driving.
Pot tends to make some folks paranoid or relaxed.
Bad for driving.
Being old tends to make some folks drive stupid.
Bad for driving.

People who are really drunk will still try to drive, where people who are really stoned will just stay in. Smile

Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 8:35 pm

Statistically drinking and driving causes way more accidents then driving stoned. Even using a cell phone and driving is more dangerous then driving stoned, cant back that one up but would be a fair guess. I would even go one step further to say that weed may actually decrease accidents because your less likely to be in a hurry. Cool

And there is the medicinal side of weed, where people afflicted with diseases such as arthritis for example would be in less pain and able to focus better.

Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 9:41 pm

20% of fatalities are caused by drunk drivers, which mean that 80% are caused by sober drivers.

Kidding aside, if you've been on the pot, pop or pills, don't drive guys, it aint worth it.

Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 9:48 pm

JamesHotwire wrote:

Quote:

And there is the medicinal side of weed, where people afflicted with diseases such as arthritis for example would be in less pain and able to focus better.

very good point.

Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 10:57 pm

driving stoned usually takes you to the nearest convenience store or drive thru.. mind you it may only be 5-10 min away but takes you an hour to get there.. feel like your driving mach 3 but actually 21kph.. get pulled over for driving too slow and no lights on

Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2012 3:39 am

hmmmm as i feel like a monkey so i will throw a spanner into the works.
Mobile phones even when hands free have been proven to be more dangerous than when driving after 2 bottles of beer. Concentration is diverted and response times to traffic situations is impaired.
Now driving after a spliff i will do as I tend to pay attention to eveything. However driving after 2 or 3 spliffs I will not do as I am not capable of driving in a manner that will not create danger......as toaster stated.....but I will embellish. If i drive like an old lady on valium then it makes everyone wonder WTF is that idiot up to and this leads to dangerous situations where others are likely to take risk to just get past me.
Drinking and driving ...... law does not even enter my mind. The thought of not stopping in time and doing someone physical harm is deterrent enough.

Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2012 4:08 am

JamesHotWire where did you get your facts from ?? Saying "weed may actually decrease accidents because your less likely to be in a hurry" is ludicrous !! How many accidents do you think a "stoned" driver would cause dawdling along the fast lane of a motorway/highway/autobahn would cause ?? Or the same "stoned" driver dawdling round and round a complex roundabout system ??

These are facts from NIDA, National Institute of Drug Abuse:

One study found that about 34 percent of motor vehicle crash victims admitted to a Maryland trauma center tested positive for “drugs only;” about 16 percent tested positive for “alcohol only.”

In a large study of almost 3,400 fatally injured drivers from three Australian states (Victoria, New South Wales, and Western Australia) between 1990 and 1999, drugs other than alcohol were present in 26.7 percent of the cases.8 These included cannabis (13.5 percent), opioids (4.9 percent), stimulants (4.1 percent), benzodiazepines (4.1 percent), and other psychotropic drugs (2.7 percent).

Marijuana

THC affects areas of the brain that control the body’s movements, balance, coordination, memory, and judgment, as well as sensations. Because these effects are multifaceted, more research is required to understand marijuana’s impact on the ability of drivers to react to complex and unpredictable situations. However, we do know that—

A meta-analysis of approximately 60 experimental studies—including laboratory, driving simulator, and on-road experiments—found that behavioral and cognitive skills related to driving performance were impaired in a dose-dependent fashion with increasing THC blood levels.12
Evidence from both real and simulated driving studies indicates that marijuana can negatively affect a driver’s attentiveness, perception of time and speed, and ability to draw on information obtained from past experiences.
A study of over 3,000 fatally injured drivers in Australia showed that when marijuana was present in the blood of the driver, he or she was much more likely to be at fault for the accident. Additionally, the higher the THC concentration, the more likely the driver was to be culpable.13
Research shows that impairment increases significantly when marijuana use is combined with alcohol.14 Studies have found that many drivers who test positive for alcohol also test positive for THC, making it clear that drinking and drugged driving are often linked behaviors.

This is my opinion ......
Whether it's drunk or drugged driving the penalty should be the same, a lifetime driving ban at least.

Oh, it is also illegal to drive whilst "stoned"

Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2012 5:22 am

I just dont think you should be stoned, drugged, drunk when you drive, the potential consequences of doing so are just too great,

At best you lose your license and get a record, at worst you end yours or someones elses life.

I shudder to think what state we got ourselves into when we were younger, when we used to go to dance clubs, travelling pretty much half way round the country. Rolling Eyes

Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2012 5:53 am

i dont think a vehicle should be driven while on any body or mind altering substance, weed or drink especially. obviously some are worse than others, trips/acid worse than coke etc etc but a vehicle is basically a moving weapon and should be driven/ridden with a fresh, concentrating body and mind, anyone who disagrees, imagine your child or loved one killed by somebody on something and somebody straight. which one would or could you eventually put down to an accident? i have done my share of dd but no more. i just grew up and realised the danger for me and others. for me pac there is no debate.

Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2012 6:49 am

I've spent the last 30 years stoned, and i mean every day of that last 30 years. I held a good position within the military (still work part time on the ranges) I was capable of putting a .50 cal round where it needed to go, jump HALO & HAHO, drive in situations where a sharp head was needed and never got anyone hurt.
I'd start my day with a cuppa and a smoke, it 'switched me on' for the day. I've run Pen-y-fan more times than i can remember (smoke before i started, one at the top, smoke at the finish)
I recently took the step and gave it up completely, now i'm a wreck. My driving skills are crap at best, i can't shoot straight, and holding a discussion with strangers is nigh impossible.
To me, if it's something you 'do' then that's how your brain runs, alcoholics get the DT's (Delerium Tremens) from withdrawls, i see simple things getting out of reach as my body reacts to the lack of THC.
My GP (civilian) has even recommended that i start smoking it again, something i may consider if things keep going to ratsh1t.
I wasn't into the 'bud, green, leaf, home grown' it was always sticky resin, oils or the rocky's if sticky wasn't available.
I used to bring back enough for my own use when we hit the sandy countries Wink

usually about 2-3Kg's packed in ammo boxes. Never paid more than £100, oil came back packed in straws inside the rifle cleaning kits, never sold any on or tried to, was always personal use.A few lads tried to drag a pallet load back, but they got busted as soon as they hit the main roads, we were just lucky i guess.
Back to the original topic though, over 40 million miles of driving, flying, running(away included lol) and i've always been top of my game, so my personal answer would be a Yes.
Drunk drivers are a different category to drug drivers, DRUGS always falls back on smokers, yet there's 100's of banned substances people use and drive on.

Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2012 7:03 am

I have to agree with afn09, there is no debate. There can be no excuse for driving under the influence of drink or drugs. Personally I wont even drive the next day if I have had a skin full the night before. That might seem over cautious but the consequences of driving in a compromised state could be truly awful.

Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2012 7:46 am

I don't drive when I'm stoned, use to though, don't care if someone else is stoned. I won't get in car with a drink driver, could be stoned of their head and I wouldn't care, dope makes me not want to drive, not incapable of it, I just don't like it. Pot makes you paranoid which helps people drive anyway.