Survey finds many Washington drivers hitting road high

Traffic safety advocates say the findings of a survey on pot use and driving paints a troubling picture of people’s willingness to get high and hit the road.

The roadside survey of approximately 1,000 drivers found 70 percent had tried marijuana sometime in life, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

What disturbs safety advocates the most is of those who tried marijuana in the last year, 44 percent said they had smoked marijuana within two hours of driving.

“A large percentage of those people said they didn’t think it affected driving. In fact, 25 percent of respondents said it made them a better driver,” said Program Manager Jonna VanDyk.

Drivers who took part in the survey stopped at roadside checkpoints set up around the state, answering questions and submitting to blood, breath or other tests to give researchers a better picture of impaired driving, especially since the legalization of marijuana in Washington state.

“We have an uphill battle. This is going to be a very important project for us in helping us understand what’s going on on our roads and if any changes need to happen. Clearly attitudes need to change,” said VanDyk.

From 2009 through 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. And with marijuana use on the rise, VanDyk said people need to realize it can be just as dangerous as drinking.

“It doubles your risk of being in a fatal crash, it definitely degrades your driving and it makes you a dangerous driver.”

The video below shows a roadside survey in action: