Raising awareness is one way to try and to prevent DUI incidents and it has proven effective. Now that California has legalized marijuana and other states have preceded or joined in recreational legalization, drugged driving has become a problem. After alcohol, marijuana is the drug found most often in the blood of drivers who are involved in crashes. However, while it is important to never smoke cannabis and drive, it is also important to know that the compound that these tests are looking for, THC, can remain in the body for a long period after ingesting it.
Newswise reports on a campaign by UC San Diego to raise awareness about drugged DUI.
A 2016 Governors Highway Safety Association report revealed that drugs were listed as a major cause of accidents, along with distracted driving. Of all drugs, marijuana was the most often detected.
Researchers at the Qualcomm Institute and the University of California San Diego School of Medicine received additional funding for the expansion of a statewide program called Training, Research, and Education for Driver Safety (TREDS). Utilizing the funding, they launched a campaign called “Higher Education: Driving High is DUI.”
In California, driving under the influence of cannabis is illegal, whether the cannabis is used recreationally or with a prescription. TREDS produced four videos about the dangers of driving while high, including the fact that you can get a DUI while driving high.
The videos include a new fact card that is presented in both English and Spanish that displays the impact that cannabis has on driving.
Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety as a part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
