A new survey shows seven out of ten drivers have used marijuana and almost half of those have recently driven within a few of hours after using marijuana.
Law enforcement officers will be on the lookout for impaired drivers as they perform state-wide DUI patrols this holiday season through Jan. 1.
According to preliminary results of a June survey that measured driver impairment on Washington’s roads, nearly 90 percent of those same drivers said they did not think marijuana degraded their driving ability. But research showed that driving while under the influence of marijuana doubled the chance of killing the abuser or others in a crash.
Amazingly, 25 percent of respondents felt that driving while under the influence of marijuana made them a better driver.
“It’s extremely troubling to me that so many marijuana users think that driving high is not a problem. It’s a serious problem,” said Darrin Grondel, Washington Traffic Safety Commission Director.
From 2009-2013, more than 1,000 people died in impaired driving collisions in Washington. Impaired driving is involved in nearly half of all traffic deaths and more than 20 percent of serious injury collisions.
In addition to death, injury and crumpled vehicles, a DUI arrest comes with heavy penalties: up to a year in jail, a $5,000 fine, and a loss of a driver’s license. DUI offenders can also be ordered to wear an electronic ankle bracelet. Many must install an ignition interlock device, which prevents a car from starting if the driver has been drinking. Defense attorney fees can cost as much as $10,000, and insurance rates can double.
The Bainbridge Island, Bremerton, Naval Base Kitsap, Port Orchard, Poulsbo and Suquamish Police Departments along with the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office and the Washington State Patrol will be teaming up and participating in the extra patrols with the support of the Kitsap County Traffic Safety Task Force.
All of these extra patrols are part of “Target Zero,” a program that aims to end traffic deaths and serious injuries in Washington by 2030. For more information, visit www.targetzero.com.
Additional information on the survey, which was held by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, can be found at www.wtsc.wa.gov/pire. Information on the Washington Traffic Safety Commission can be found on the agency website, www.wtsc.wa.gov.
Trooper Russ Winger with the Washington State Patrol said that although he couldn’t speak for the state, he has not noticed an increase in the number of motorists driving under the influence of marijuana in his district since the drug was legalized in 2012. Kitsap County is in the WSP’s eighth district.
Winger said marijuana DUIs were not specifically tracked as it would be listed only as a drug-related DUI, and so providing hard numbers on whether or not there were more motorists using it were not available.
But Winger said Troopers have seen people act openly with marijuana now instead of trying to hide it.
