Cannabis Is Not Harmless—It Impairs Drivers
Cannabis in any form can impair drivers just as badly as alcohol. Several worldwide studies have addressed the dangers of using marijuana while driving. Here is some recent research about marijuana and driving- Marijuana impairs judgment, motor skills, and reaction time.
- A direct relationship exists between blood THC levels and driver impairment. THC is the psychoactive component of cannabis that gets users high—not to be confused with CBD, which doesn’t appear to impair driving.
- Drivers with THC in their blood are about two times more likely to cause a fatal crash than those who have not used drugs.
- Drivers with THC in their blood are three to seven times more likely to cause an accident than those who haven’t consumed drugs.
Enforcing Drugged Driving Laws Has Proved Challenging
If you get in a traffic accident, law enforcement typically comes to the scene of the accident. Officers may take note of many different things that indicate whether alcohol played a factor in the crash, such as the smell of liquor or beer on a driver and open containers in a vehicle. A police officer might choose to perform field sobriety tests on a driver and get the driver to take a Breathalyzer test. When properly maintained and used by trained officers, Breathalyzers are an effective tool to test the blood alcohol levels of drivers. Unfortunately, it isn’t that simple for situations involving drivers under the influence of cannabis. No simple tool exists for law enforcement to test for THC levels in a driver at the scene of an accident. Instead, an officer must bring the driver to the nearest police station and request that he or she agree to chemical testing. Police must administer these tests within two hours of the accident, and a medical professional must perform any blood tests.Drivers must comply if they don’t want their licenses revoked, and if drug tests reveal more than 5 nanograms of THC per milliliter of blood or more than 10 nanograms per milliliter of urine, drivers will lose their licenses. The biggest challenge in testing for THC is that it can remain in a person’s body for months after a person consumes or smokes cannabis. This makes it difficult for courts to convict people of marijuana-related DUIs and much easier for defense attorneys to argue against conviction—but what does it mean for other motorists who don’t drive while high?What to Do if You’re in an Accident With a Drugged Driver
If you are in a traffic accident in Illinois, you might not suspect that the other driver is under the influence of drugs. If the other driver is high, you might not find out until you see the official police report. Even if law enforcement charges the driver with a DUI, and a court convicts him or her of criminal charges, this doesn’t help you face the losses that often come with a severe accident and injury. Depending on the severity of the accident, you might incur the following economic losses:- Medical expenses for an ambulance ride, emergency room treatment, doctor visits, diagnostic testing, surgery, aftercare, follow-up visits, and prescription medication
- Lost current and future wages from missing work due to injury, hospitalization, treatment, and permanent disability
- Costs of replacement services for things that you can no longer complete around your home, such as lawn care, childcare, snow removal, and cleaning
- Physical pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Reduced quality of life
- Loss of consortium with a spouse
- Other non-economic losses that might apply to your circumstances
Abels & Annes, P.C. 100 N LaSalle St #1710 Chicago, IL 60602 (312) 924-7575
David Abels
Partner
David Abels has carved a niche for himself in the personal injury law sector, dedicating a substantial part of his career since 1997 to representing victims of various accidents. With a law practice that spans over two decades, his expertise has been consistently recognized within the legal community.
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