PopSci grapples with age-old question of what is worse: driving drunk or stoned
Impaired driving kills thousands of motorists each year, and ad campaigns and increased police enforcement have done little to stop it from happening. When we say "impaired driving," most think about alcohol. But marijuana usage prior to getting behind the wheel can be just as dangerous.
Professors from Israel's Ben Gurion University wanted to see which was worse; drink driving or stoned driving. The university chose 14 students to participate in the study, which consists of a realistic driving environment that includes a 1600degree screen and a gold Cadillac STS simulator. Not surprisingly, the school didn't even need to advertise the study to get its test subjects. Apparently, some college-age students will readily participate in studies that involve alcohol or marijuana. Who knew?
The results of the study were less than surprising. The drivers that consumed vodka drinks drove faster while also being very cocky about their abilities. Pot smokers drove more slowly, but like the drunken drivers, they also swerved excessive and changed lanes a lot. The chronic crew also felt they were more aware of their impairment, which you may think is a good thing, but researchers say the detachment from reality is actually very dangerous.
So who wins the battle of drunken drivers verses stoned drivers? Well, nobody. They're both dangerous, unless you're in Israel behind the wheel of a gold Cadillac STS simulator.
[Source: PopSci]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
ronEbear 7:45PM (5/29/2009)
Bah! Years of experience has shown me that driving while stoned from MJ is WAY less dangerous than driving while drunk. Also, people beat up their wives more when they are drunk.
Reply
Rob 7:50PM (5/29/2009)
Seems to be less dangerous all around, considering health issues, etc. And there is no magic tattle tale you can blow in, that will give your "PAC" (pot alcohol content).
Rob 10:08PM (5/29/2009)
lol, sorry BPC (blood pot content).
Ian B. 11:03AM (5/30/2009)
So this is Autoblog, not one of those men's mags. So the question is, sex is better drunk or stoned? Back in the old frat days, it was a toss up. The little dirties showed either or both mostly. Fun times they were.
AMcA 1:49PM (5/30/2009)
Rob -
Yeah, carcinogens, but somebody did a study recently that concluded marijuana somehow inhibits lung cancer.
Wacky, I know.
But tempting!
tekd 4:50PM (5/30/2009)
Saying stoned driving is "safer" than drunk driving is like saying it's safer to have unprotected sex with the people coming out of an STD clinic than to share a heroin needle with the people coming out of the methadone clinic.
Or how it's safer to jump out of an 8th story window than a 10th story window.
Seriously, it's like saying you're not stupid because you only had to repeat 3rd grade twice while that other kid over there had to repeat it 4 times. It doesn't matter how you decide to drive under the influence, you're a moron either way.
geo.stewart 7:48PM (5/29/2009)
which is worse: "drink" writing or stoned writing?
LOL
Reply
paul34 7:52PM (5/29/2009)
Actually, geo, those crazy Brits say "drink driving" instead of "drunk driving."
They also say "shed-euw-el" instead of schedule (even though school is somehow pronounced correctly).
But it's all good... i"m sure they have our number of a few things too. The rivalry between our brands of English will never end.
Itsuru 10:30AM (5/30/2009)
Who's to say who is right? Since the language came from England after all, I don't think it's fair to criticize their pronunciation.
tbirdfive0 7:51PM (5/29/2009)
The chick driving that car in the simulator is obviously drunk... She is driving with her hood popped up. Its only a matter of time before a virtual hood hits her virtual windshield and she needs a to find a virtual body shop.
Reply
Max 3:20AM (5/31/2009)
damn..don't think I'd make it sober in a 1600 degree surround screen!
Reply
Sea Urchin 8:03PM (5/29/2009)
I can solve this issue easily, if you are caught driving while high or drunk for the first time you should be fined $5,000, 7 days of community service (taking off 7 days from work maybe almost impossible or you will have to tell your employer that you are a criminal) and suspension of license for 1 year.
Sounds harsh, but every year 40, 000 people die in USA on roads.
Reply
paul34 11:18PM (5/29/2009)
How does that prevent it? Many areas already have significant penalties for DUI. The issue here is that people who do it do it not because they figure "oh, I can afford to do the time, have the mark on my record, lose my job, etc"... they do it because they think they won't get caught (except for repeat offenders, but they're hopeless anyway).
Assass1n 11:47PM (5/29/2009)
Wow, I just agreed with Sea Urchin- check hell, is it frozen? lol
Seriously, fines are not stiff enough for marijuana possession or use in this country. Sad thing is, most people believe that MJ is a safer alternative to cigarettes.
Lance 3:01AM (5/30/2009)
@Assass1n
Are you seriously suggesting that cigarettes are healthier than cannabis?
matt 3:18AM (5/30/2009)
@Assass1n, wow...if you believe cigarrettes are safer than weed than you're a fool. seriously. one cause cancer, one doesn't...
Kitko 11:26AM (5/30/2009)
Matt, marijuana is MORE carcinogenic than tobacco
http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/marijuana.html
The only reason MJ users do not develop lung cancer in numbers comparable to tobacco users is that they rarely smoke 40 of joints in a day. Try doing it and beside a fu..ed up brain you'd be breathing with a respirator in few years.
Frank 11:48AM (5/30/2009)
@sea urchin. You're a tool. You need to smoke a fattie and calm down. Worse than a chick.
DKB_SATX 11:50AM (5/30/2009)
@Kitko: Real doctors (including some of the ones who teach in medical schools these days) point out that both the safest AND most effective method for using cannabis is with a "vaporizer." This essentially nullifies the cancer risk and reduces the amount of plant material needed for a certain level of "high."
matt 11:52AM (5/30/2009)
@Kitko, no, you're technically still wrong. The only way those studies arrive at that conclusion is because they test the marijuana in a joint. If you smoke out of a vaporizer marijuana is wayyy less harmful than cigarrettess, because you only inhale the vapor, not smoke. Marijuana itself isn't very carcenogenic, if at all, it only becomes that way when you smoke it. Pot brownies or any food or drink with marijuana has little negative effects, as does using marijuana through a vaporizer.