Driving high

With the legalization of cannabis, Connecticut, like many other states, is facing the challenge of increased use among drivers. With greater acceptance of the drug comes a declining perception of its risk. Many people perceive it differently than other drugs like alcohol. They don’t believe it impairs them behind the wheel so they continue to do it.

This belief is simply incorrect. Using cannabis impairs your ability to operate a motor vehicle safely. It can affect vision and depth perception, hinder your ability to focus and make good decisions and, most notably, it slows your reaction time. Those split-second moves you need to make while driving are made slower if you’re high, and that can lead to deadly consequences.

The profound dangers, combined with an often misinformed public perception, has made driving high an increasingly concerning behavior seen on today’s roadways.

By the numbers

There are few official crash and fatality statistics related to cannabis use as enforcement and detection are not as advanced as with alcohol impairment. However, it is estimated that the recent increase in crashes and fatalities on our roadways is in part due to people driving high.

• Nearly 15 million drivers reported driving within one hour of cannabis use in the last month.
• 70% of Americans think the chances of getting caught by police for driving high are “unlikely.”

Laws

While it is now legal to possess cannabis and transport it in a vehicle’s locked glovebox or trunk, it is still illegal to operate a motor vehicle under the influence of cannabis. Unlike with alcohol, which has a blood-alcohol level threshold, there is no specific level of THC in the blood to be considered impaired in Connecticut. Drug Recognition Experts (DREs), specially trained law enforcement professionals, can determine whether a driver is impaired by cannabis or other drugs through a series of behavioral tests and observations.

Penalties

Driving under the influence of cannabis carries the same penalties as driving under the influence of alcohol or any other drug. It is a criminal offense, so you’re not just given a ticket. You are arrested, your car is towed and you may be kept in a police lock-up until you are bailed out.

Penalties for DUI are severe and vary depending on your age and number of offenses in your past.

Drive to save lives – what we’re doing

Along with other countermeasures, HSO’s public awareness campaigns drive impaired driving awareness and prevention. These campaigns are seen and heard by millions of Connecticut residents every year, expressing both the dangers and the legal consequences of driving high.

• Campaign research included focus groups and interviews with key demographics, exploring attitudes toward driving high, why they do it and what would make them stop.
• Advertising includes television, radio, internet, billboards and bus panels, stadium/arena signage, social media posts, streaming TV and video game placements.
• Ads target many demographic groups with a focus on 21 to 34-year-old males. Campaigns also include Spanish language ads and placements.
• To supplement paid advertising, we garner significant press coverage through frequent press conferences and by inviting journalists to live checkpoints and DUI patrol ride-alongs.

Driving high = DUI

Simple, non-judgemental messaging reminds cannabis users that while it's legal to get high, it's illegal and dangerous to drive high.