While 91 percent of Americans say driving under the influence of marijuana is dangerous, only two in five believe marijuana use is a factor in vehicle accidents, according to an online Harris Poll conducted on behalf of the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI).
Of the more than 2,000 people surveyed, 87 percent said marijuana use poses a hazard to others on the road, yet only 3 percent of parents had discussed the hazard with their children.
“Driving under the influence of marijuana is extremely dangerous,” Robert Gordon, senior vice president of PCI, said. “In fact, driving under the influence of marijuana should be viewed with the same risks as drunk or distracted driving. When you’re high, it can impair your judgment, motor coordination, and reaction time. We need more research, public awareness, and better public policy to reduce the dangers of marijuana-impaired driving and to make our roads less dangerous.”
Marijuana is legal for medical and/or recreational use in 29 states and the District of Columbia.
Nearly all Americans, 99 percent, consider using social media while driving to be dangerous, and 98 percent consider texting while driving dangerous.
Distracted driving is the cause of 92 percent of vehicle crashes in the United States.