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WILKES-BARRE — In an exclusive AAA poll, 72 percent of Pennsylvania drivers say they are somewhat or very concerned about the dangers posed by others driving under the influence of marijuana should it be legalized for recreational use.
An overwhelming 92 percent of those surveyed by AAA consider someone driving after using illegal drugs a serious threat to their safety.
“Drugged driving is a problem that is quickly — and somewhat quietly — surpassing drunk driving as a major highway safety threat,” said Jana Tidwell, manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “Because AAA is a consistent champion of road safety, we wanted to start the public conversation about this issue before it’s too late.”
Tidwell said on March 30, the Pennsylvania AAA Federation and the Pennsylvania DUI Association held a Drugged Driving Summit to study the issue and develop an action plan specific to Pennsylvania with the goal of increasing education, enforcement resources, and ultimately reaching zero impaired driving fatalities.
More than 150 participants — legislators, law enforcement officials, health care experts, traffic safety advocates, members of the treatment community and national experts among them — gathered to discuss Pennsylvania’s challenges and educate each other to the experiences different agencies experience in dealing with the complex issue.
“As a result of this summit, we hope to grasp a better understanding of what’s happening in our state from the people who deal with all of the aspects of drug-impaired driving first-hand,” said Tidwell.
Stephen Erni, executive director of the Pennsylvania DUI Association, said his organization will be working with all three branches of government, safety advocates and the community to implement the recommendations developed at the Summit.
More AAA Pennsylvania poll findings
• 54 percent correctly identify drug overdoses as the leading cause of death in Pennsylvania when asked to choose among overdoses, traffic crashes, shootings and falls.
• Only 32 percent believed that Pennsylvania has more incidents of drug overdose than the rest of U.S.
• 53 percent think Pennsylvania has about the same number of drug overdoses as other states, while 8 percent think Pennsylvania has fewer incidents.
• Surprisingly, the poll of more than 1,250 licensed drivers in Pennsylvania revealed that motorists have quickly grasped the dire threat to their safety posed by others driving under the influence of illegal drugs. This is especially significant when considering the number of years it took to change social perceptions about the dangers posed by drinking and driving.
AAA research underscores danger, offers advice
The threat from the legalization of marijuana for recreational use was also discussed at the Drugged Driving Summit.
Research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found an alarming increase in the proportion of drivers involved in fatal crashes who had recently consumed marijuana following the legalization of recreational marijuana use in Washington State in November 2012.
According to AAA Foundation’s research:
• Fatal crashes involving drivers who recently used marijuana more than doubled — from 8 percent to 17 percent.
• One in six drivers involved in fatal crashes tested positive for active-THC, the ingredient in marijuana that causes impairment.
Because of the increasing concern about the negative traffic safety implications and current challenges in discerning and addressing marijuana-related impaired driving, AAA opposes the legalization of marijuana for recreational use.
“For whatever marijuana might raise in revenue, its legalization comes at a potentially high cost to society and safety, including new threats on our roads,” Tidwell concluded.