Driving while Impaired

An incident that occurred Saturday night when a suspected stoned driver ran into two State Patrol vehicles illustrates why Colorado is focusing on keeping those who overindulge in marijuana from driving while impaired. While no one was hurt in the accident on Saturday, the prospect of an increase in accidents due to the legalization of marijuana is a real concern.  A $400,000 grant has been received from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and will be used for a campaign to prevent drivers from getting behind the wheel while high, as well as education for officers to spot probable offenders.  The campaign will begin in March, and will include posters of the danger of driving while impaired which will be posted in
recreational marijuana shops.

Some shop owners will participate in focus groups to help keep marijuana users from getting behind the wheel.  Public Safety officials are concerned that the number of impaired drivers will increase now that pot is legal.

Glenn Davis, CDOT highway safety manager would like to see an additional 300 officers trained to deal with the possible increase of impaired drivers. Marijuana slows reaction time and affects judgement, although one of the problems with high drivers appears to be their confidence in their ability to drive.  Many people believe they can drive as well while high as when they are sober, but statistics indicate that marijuana was a factor in over 1,000 Colorado cases in 2012.  The NHTSA estimates that drugs other than alcohol are involved in approximately 18 percent of motor vehicle deaths,

Under the current DUI law, a motorist is considered under the influence of marijuana if the blood level is above 5 nanograms of THC.  The difficulty in knowing how much pot is too much is an issue to be considered.  The potency of different marijuana varieties, or smoking versus edibles, increased tolerance amount habitual users causes differing levels of intoxication.

If you are injured in a car accident in the greater Denver metro area, you need to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney. Pick up the phone and call The Law Offices of Robert Paysinger, P.C. at (303) 279-0221 or visit www.paysingerlaw.com today to schedule a free initial consultation. We help injured people - it's all we do!