DUID Victim Network
Two articles released last month reach starkly different conclusions about the effect of marijuana use on driving safety:
Brady, J.E., Li, G., Trends in Alcohol and Other Drugs in Fatally Injured Drivers in the United States, 1999-2010, American Journal of Epidemiology, January 29, 2014
Romano, E., Torres-Saavedra, P., Voas, R., Lacey, J.H., Drugs and Alcohol: Their Relative Crash Risk, Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, January 2014
The first has been widely quoted … READ MORE
This week we sent a letter to Governor Hickenlooper: Hickenlooper 3 It suggests ways of collecting, analyzing and publishing DUID data essential to understanding drugged driving in our state. It further suggests that the $7.1 million that Colorado is allocating to sponsor “research” to promote use of marijuana could be better spent solving our DUID data deficit.
The Denver Post agreed with some of our points, and issued an editorial of support… READ MORE
Two stories in the December 27, 2013 Denver Post tell Colorado what to expect in the coming years from the Post.
First, the sad story of Dora Gayton-Esparza, 35, and Daniela Medina-Gayton, 6. Dora was killed and Daniela was seriously injured by Johnny Cephas-Gilbert, 37. The Post reported that Cepahas-Gilbert was charged with vehicular homicide and vehicular assault, noting that he reeked of alcohol and marijuana when arrested.
We already know the outcome of this … READ MORE
Colorado’s legislature will convene January 8, 2014. So perhaps it’s timely to propose a DUID legislative wish list for the year. We will discuss each of these in separate blog entries over the next weeks and months.
1 DUID statistical analysis.
Create new statistical tracking tools to properly document the number of DUI and DUID arrests. This would include the ability to distinguish different types of drug categories in DUID arrests. This initiative could be … READ MORE
The short answer is that no one knows.
Critics of stricter DUID bills claim that, since Colorado’s DUI conviction rate is reported to be nearly 90%, there is no need for additional laws governing drugged driving.
There are two problems with that statement. First of all, Colorado’s current DUI law, C.R.S. 42-4-1301 (1), does not distinguish between alcohol-impaired driving (DUI) and drug-impaired driving (DUID). Therefore, Judicial data that are commonly cited for the 85% – … READ MORE
Marijuana is a plant, not a purified drug. It consists of dozens of chemicals that vary, depending upon the plant’s strain and culture. Of the several dozen chemicals in marijuana, Delta -9 tetrahydrocannabinol is the one of primary interest because of its psychoactive, impairing effects. It is also referred to as ?9THC, or simply THC.
There are other forms of THC such as carboxy-THC, that is non-impairing, and hydroxy-THC that is impairing. Other cannabinoid chemicals … READ MORE
Proponents of a 5 ng THC law argue that Dr. Jan Ramaekers told Colorado’s Drug Policy Task Force (DPTF) that 5 ng THC equals .08 BAC. Dr. Ramaekers is a good scientist from the Netherlands. NHTSA contracts with him to perform impairment studies. He’s highly regarded.
Dr. Ramaekers also said,
• “A THC limit is to protect the general public.”
• “Combined cannabis plus alcohol in any dose is bigger than either alone.”
• “Impairment
The majority of marijuana-impaired drivers test below 5 ng/ml of THC. A ten-year study in Norway6 showed that over 90% of drivers arrested for driving under the influence of marijuana were below 5 ng/ml when tested. According to Fiona Couper, Washington’s State Toxicologist, 55% of drugged driving suspects in Washington tested below 5 ng in 2011.
Colorado’s data are between these two studies, with
DUI per se laws, stricter law enforcement, education, and changing social norms have led to a steady decline in the incidence of drunk driving and drunk-driving deaths according to NHTSA:
But changing social norms and a lack of effective drug per se laws that have hindered law enforcement, have led to a dramatic increase in drugged driving. This chart shows the percentage of fatally injured drivers positive for drugs.
Patterns among Colorado drivers are similar … READ MORE