Live data from Hacker News

Stoned drivers are safer than drunk ones, new federal data show

washingtonpost.com

241–250 of 281 posts

Re: Stoned drivers are safer than drunk ones, new federal data show

#241

I'm on vacation in Colorado right now, and you can point out the stoned drivers. They tend to drive slow and passive, they fear the merge, and spend lots of time stopped at stop signs making sure they really are stopped and not going to crash. The impression I have is that their judgement and reactions are definitely impaired, but in a stark contrast to the invincibility and carelessness of alcohol induced drivers.

The drivers stopped at the stop sign for significant periods of time are actually waiting for the stop sign to turn green.

Re: Stoned drivers are safer than drunk ones, new federal data show

#242

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>alcohol makes someone more confident, or more likely to do stupid things. Reminds me of the "say the alphabet backwards" challenge that cops often present in sobriety tests. Drunk: ZYX... ZYXW... wait-wait... okay, ZYXTW, ummm... Sober: I can't do that. Stoned: Oh whaaat? No way, man. I can't even do that sober - shit, I mean...

Deep in my memory banks I have the recollection of a song "Backwards Alphabet", maybe it was on Sesame Street or something, that would allow you to "sing" the alphabet backwards without actually having to think about it; the melody acts as a mnemonic device to go along with the "lyrics" which are just the alphabet backwards. I wonder how a cop would react if you started singing the alphabet backwards.

The request is usually accompanied by "without singing" because they definitely know this trick.

In fact I think it's mostly not a test they use, or if it is it's to see how the person handles it, not that they can actually do it.

Re: Stoned drivers are safer than drunk ones, new federal data show

#243
post #236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is there a standard? What standards body has decided it and where can I see it's tests enumerated? Or do you mean the quick and dirty 'field sobriety tests' that many police offers use? I'm not aware of those being actual standards or tests so much as quick and dirty tools to justify the effort of /actual/ standards tests (BTW, I recall hearing that you should always demand the blood test over the breath tests).

I think blood alcohol content counts as an objective standard.

Yes, many states in the US (and I presume other governments at some level around the world) have BAC level tests that are a legal limit which has a strong scientific correlation to of resulting in impaired driving and decision making.

I think there might be some debate over variance of correlation among different ethnicity and experience level of particular users, but I cannot recall any actual disagreement about the current legal BAC limits being close enough for the general population.

However that is the point being made by the parent article; that while presence of alcohol in someone's blood does have that strong scientific correlation there is as yet no strong scientific correlation for any of the legal limits currently in place.

Re: Stoned drivers are safer than drunk ones, new federal data show

#244
post #3

As a full supporter of cannabis legalization, I'm also a big supporter of a technology that can instantly detect whether someone's reflexes are impaired by cannabis. Notice that I'm focusing on whether or not they are impaired, as opposed to the amount in their bloodstream. The point being that people that use cannabis regularly for medical reasons don't seem to be impaired by it at all, while newer or more occasiona…

Cops can tell if you're stoned. It's not that difficult. It's not like they never see it.

Re: Stoned drivers are safer than drunk ones, new federal data show

#245
post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you think legalization will cause usage to increase? Seems to me just about anyone who would use marijuana in the first place is already using it. I don't expect an increase in consumption per capita at all.

Anecdata alert: it increased my usage, and that of my wife. From "none", because didn't need the legal hassles even if the risk was practically non-existent in the Seattle area if you had some sense, to "pretty regular use" now that it's legal in WA. By far the biggest reason for the switch was because the hassle of tracking down weed just wasn't worth the hassle. Now the store is on the way home, takes an extra five…

I'm from Portland and I had smoked when I was younger as most people do, however I stopped around 20. 30 now and I smoke most days due to the legality change in OR.

Also have some friends in Denver who started back up after it became legal.

Just some more anecdotal 'evidence' to go off of.

Re: Stoned drivers are safer than drunk ones, new federal data show

#246

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, let's just acquiesce to the whims of the state. Who cares about personal liberty or science or medicine or pharmacology? If anything, my experience with the state and it's drug prohibition, has made me want to smoke even more weed. Fuck the hick country cops who made me recite the alphabet backwards. Fuck the school admin who revoked my scholarship. I make six figures and travel the world for my job and for my p…

i feel you. I had an accident and called the police. got arrested, jailed and beaten by guards. first they claimed i was drunk (i dont drink). i could not not stand on one leg for 30 seconds. after brethalizer showed 0 they claimed i was on drugs. got jailed for 2 nights. blood test came back negative for everything 40 days later. they retested it and found wellbutrin and xanax in my blood, my prescription meds. xana…

Did you get a lawyer? Sounds like something that a competent defense attorney could get squashed in about 10 seconds.

Re: Stoned drivers are safer than drunk ones, new federal data show

#247

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, let's just acquiesce to the whims of the state. Who cares about personal liberty or science or medicine or pharmacology? If anything, my experience with the state and it's drug prohibition, has made me want to smoke even more weed. Fuck the hick country cops who made me recite the alphabet backwards. Fuck the school admin who revoked my scholarship. I make six figures and travel the world for my job and for my p…

i feel you. I had an accident and called the police. got arrested, jailed and beaten by guards. first they claimed i was drunk (i dont drink). i could not not stand on one leg for 30 seconds. after brethalizer showed 0 they claimed i was on drugs. got jailed for 2 nights. blood test came back negative for everything 40 days later. they retested it and found wellbutrin and xanax in my blood, my prescription meds. xana…

oh yeah of course.. spent $15000 on lawyers already. unfortunately they are part of the eco system and i made a mistake to hire one who charges hourly at first. so he dragged it out. now i got one for a flat rate, and hopefully its done soon.

Re: Stoned drivers are safer than drunk ones, new federal data show

#248

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i feel you. I had an accident and called the police. got arrested, jailed and beaten by guards. first they claimed i was drunk (i dont drink). i could not not stand on one leg for 30 seconds. after brethalizer showed 0 they claimed i was on drugs. got jailed for 2 nights. blood test came back negative for everything 40 days later. they retested it and found wellbutrin and xanax in my blood, my prescription meds. xana…

Did you get a lawyer? Sounds like something that a competent defense attorney could get squashed in about 10 seconds.

oh yeah of course.. spent $15000 on lawyers already. unfortunately they are part of the eco system and i made a mistake to hire one who charges hourly at first. so he dragged it out. now i got one for a flat rate, and hopefully its done soon.

Re: Stoned drivers are safer than drunk ones, new federal data show

#249
post #3

As a full supporter of cannabis legalization, I'm also a big supporter of a technology that can instantly detect whether someone's reflexes are impaired by cannabis. Notice that I'm focusing on whether or not they are impaired, as opposed to the amount in their bloodstream. The point being that people that use cannabis regularly for medical reasons don't seem to be impaired by it at all, while newer or more occasiona…

Cops can tell if you're stoned. It's not that difficult. It's not like they never see it.

Having driven through multiple DUI checkpoints while stoned I can attest that this is not true.
Post reply on HN