NTSB Chief Says Marijuana’s Impact On Driving Is Underestimated After Crash That Killed Six Teens
A fatal accident that involved six high school girls in Oklahoma two years ago has left the head of the U. S National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) appealing to parents to educate teenagers on the dangers of driving after using marijuana.
Deputy Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy urged parents on Thursday after a small Chevrolet Spark hatchback crashed into a gravel-towing semi on March 22, 2022.
In the process, the board found out that rather than slowing down for the intersection, the 16-year-old driver accelerated through a stop sign. As the NTSB report pointed out, she probably was under the influence of marijuana within the past day and was also distracted by having five teenage passengers in the car.
During an interview, Homendy also stated that the issue related to cannabis is not only a teenage crisis anymore. With the increasing number of states legalizing the use of recreational marijuana, both teenagers and adults have a tendency to underestimate the danger of driving under the influence of marijuana.
“I think there is a notion that if it is legal in the states to operate a vehicle after using marijuana, then it is safe,” she said.
The NTSB report also showed that marijuana affects the ability to judge distance, time, and motor coordination, all of which are essential while driving.
Marijuana has been legalized in 24 states and in Washington D.C for individuals who are 21 years old and above, as stated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. It is legal in Oklahoma for medical purposes, like in many other states, but recreational use is prohibited. In all states and Washington D.C., it is illegal to operate a vehicle while under the influence of marijuana.
Proposing that parents talk to their children about marijuana’s impact on driving and the decision not to drive while under the influence, a safety alert from the NTSB, an organization that investigates transportation crashes but does not regulate.
Homendy pointed out that the states that legalized marijuana are lagging when it comes to informing people that it is unlawful to drive while under the influence of the substance. She said over fifty percent of Americans reside in a state that allows the consumption of cannabis for recreational purposes.
In my opinion, state laws concerning the recreational use and medicinal purposes of marijuana have come before what is being done about traffic safety Homendy said, ‘They are far ahead on legalizing it but behind in traffic safety’. ”
