{"id":217,"date":"2015-01-27T19:08:23","date_gmt":"2015-01-28T00:08:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cardirectvirginia.com\/blog\/?p=217"},"modified":"2015-01-27T19:08:23","modified_gmt":"2015-01-28T00:08:23","slug":"drugged-driving-its-a-little-hazy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cardirectvirginia.com\/blog\/drugged-driving-its-a-little-hazy\/","title":{"rendered":"Drugged Driving \u2013 It\u2019s A Little Hazy"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A\"<\/a>Most Americans understand the tremendous danger\u2014and potentially devastating consequences\u2014that drinking and driving subjects motorists and the public to. But what about the dangers of the widely available recreational marijuana that\u2019s already legal in Colorado and Washington and soon to be so in Oregon, Alaska, and the District of Columbia?<\/p>\n

U.S. drivers are a lot hazier about that\u2014as well as the consequences and impairments that result from prescription medications and painkillers.<\/p>\n

In a recent AAA survey, while 66 percent said that people driving after drinking pose a very serious threat to safety, only 56 percent attached that threat level to illegal drugs in general and just 28 percent to prescription drugs. And Americans aren\u2019t clear on what the impairment thresholds are for marijuana, or on the legal and safety issues.<\/p>\n

These findings come ahead of the full\u00a02015 Traffic Culture Index<\/em>\u00a0report, to be released next month from the\u00a0AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.<\/p>\n

Eight in ten Americans agreed that it is \u2018completely unacceptable\u2019 to drive one hour after using marijuana. Meanwhile the AAA notes federal research showing that marijuana can impair driving performance for up to three hours.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, some research shows that marijuana impairment has two components, an\u00a0acute<\/em>\u00a0one and a\u00a0chronic<\/em>\u00a0one\u2014and the latter, for regular marijuana users,\u00a0could affect driving for weeks\u00a0even after they stop.<\/p>\n

The results also point to the need for an adjustment in driver attitude regarding prescription drugs. \u201cJust because a doctor prescribes a drug, or you can purchase it over-the-counter doesn’t necessarily mean it is safe to use while driving,\u201d said Jake Nelson, AAA’s director of traffic safety advocacy, who recommended that you discuss all potential side effects with your doctor or pharmacist.<\/p>\n

According to the AAA, the use of one prescription drug has increased by ten percent in the past decade, while the use of five or more prescription drugs has increased by 70 percent. Medication can affect drivers\u2019 alertness, concentration, general vehicle control, and mood (and arguably, decision-making).<\/p>\n

The AAA Foundation does offer a\u00a0Roadwise Rx tool\u00a0that will help you check on a drug\u2019s side effects, or potential interactions.<\/p>\n

At Car Direct, our goal is to help you in finding the right vehicle for you.\u00a0 Check out or inventory page to see what we currently have in stock.\u00a0 Don\u2019t see what you\u2019re looking for?\u00a0 Give us a call \u2013 that vehicle may be on its way in.\u00a0 If not, we\u2019ll find it for you!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Most Americans understand the tremendous danger\u2014and potentially devastating consequences\u2014that drinking and driving subjects motorists and the public to. But what about the dangers of the widely available recreational marijuana that\u2019s already legal in Colorado and Washington and soon to be so in Oregon, Alaska, and the District of Columbia? U.S. drivers are a lot hazier […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n