Drivers under the influence of marijuana run little risk of having automobile accidents, researchers from the University of Adelaide and Transport for South Australia announced Monday. The research team examined blood samples of 2,500 South Australian drivers and determined that those under the influence of marijuana were no more likely to have an accident than those who were drug free.
“These findings, like those of the National Highway Transportation Administration, indicate that alcohol is by far the leading cause of drug-related traffic accidents, while marijuana’s role is negligible,” explained Allen St. Pierre, executive director of the NORML Foundation.
The South Australian study is the largest ever undertaken to determine the link between drug use and roadside accidents.
Study leader, Dr. Jason White, said that the findings hold worldwide significance. “[Alcohol] produces the greatest impairment to driving and the effects of other drugs are very small when compared with [its] effects,” he said. He speculated that marijuana smokers are seldom involved in car accidents because they “compensate for the impairing effects of the drug. They are more cautious, less likely to take risks, and drive slower.”
For more information, please contact either Allen St. Pierre or Paul Armentano of The NORML Foundation @ (202) 483-8751.
[Read how the Swedish media reported this study to their citizens via marijuananews.com.]