A Hartford Hospital study has shown that driving under the influence of marijuana doesn’t alter driving skills.
That’s surprising.
However, test subjects did get distracted more easily with the effects of the drug.
An investigation conducted by the Hartford Hospital and the University of Iowa Carver College of Medecine consisted of a simulated driving performance that included 50 male and 35 female subjects, who have all used the substance during the previous month.
Using a driving simulator, the subjects drove in collision-avoidance and distracted-driving conditions. Some of the group were given placebo cigarettes so, besides certain administrators, no one knew who was stoned and who wasn’t.
The tests revealed no real difference between one another in the collision-avoiding simulations.
The distracted-driving test did reveal that those who were under the influence compensated their reaction time by slowing down in certain portions of the simulation and showed signs of insignificant distraction.
Investigator Beth Anderson stated that “the results do not imply that it is safe to drive under the influence of marijuana, especially because we know people aren’t just smoking marijuana.” She cited that other passengers, listening to music, talking on the phone or texting can increase the level of distraction and become dangerous.
That’s surprising.
However, test subjects did get distracted more easily with the effects of the drug.
An investigation conducted by the Hartford Hospital and the University of Iowa Carver College of Medecine consisted of a simulated driving performance that included 50 male and 35 female subjects, who have all used the substance during the previous month.
Using a driving simulator, the subjects drove in collision-avoidance and distracted-driving conditions. Some of the group were given placebo cigarettes so, besides certain administrators, no one knew who was stoned and who wasn’t.
The tests revealed no real difference between one another in the collision-avoiding simulations.
The distracted-driving test did reveal that those who were under the influence compensated their reaction time by slowing down in certain portions of the simulation and showed signs of insignificant distraction.
Investigator Beth Anderson stated that “the results do not imply that it is safe to drive under the influence of marijuana, especially because we know people aren’t just smoking marijuana.” She cited that other passengers, listening to music, talking on the phone or texting can increase the level of distraction and become dangerous.