UC San Diego in the News
PSA: Drugged Driving is Dangerous
UCSD School of Medicine Professor Linda Hill has been working with the school’s Training, Research and Education for Driving Safety (TREDS) for 15 years. They have four public service videos (see above) to teach drivers about the consequences of driving while drugged. TREDS web address is: http://treds.ucsd.edu/
Hill says people that use Marijuana products should wait before driving, the same as is recommended for alcohol. Her advice is that people smoking Marijuana should wait four hours before driving. She also indicated that edibles can delay the effects and last for eight hours.
A grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is funding TREDS “Higher Education: Driving High is DUI” campaign.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 2016 report on drivers killed in collisions showed Marijuana is the most commonly detected drug, followed by Opiods. NHTSA also launched a new safety campaign over the Labor Day holiday weekend in 2018; “If You Feel Different, You Drive Different.” Heidi King, NHTSA Deputy Administrator said that “A driver’s judgment and ability to react are both impaired when driving high, but many drivers don’t realize that it’s dangerous and illegal.” Driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol is illegal throughout the United States.
NHTSA Short Videos on Driving Under the Influence
The fact that driving under the influence is dangerous is nothing new but many people take prescription medications without being a danger to other motorists. In other words, having drugs in your system doesn’t automatically mean you are under the influence for purposes of a DUI. Consider the following definition from CALCRIM 2110, which is one of the jury instructions given at the end of a trial in CA before the jury is sent out to deliberate:
A person is under the influence if, as a result of (drinking [or
consuming] an alcoholic beverage/ [and/or] taking a drug), his or her
mental or physical abilities are so impaired that he or she is no longer
able to drive a vehicle with the caution of a sober person, using
ordinary care, under similar circumstances.
TIP: Don’t drive under the influence and you’ll avoid needing to Google “SACRAMENTO DUI ATTORNEYS”
Our local CSU is doing their part to keep students safe as well. California State University Sacramentohas a program called Safe Rides. Associated Students Inc. offers to reimburse students up to $20 persemester for using a ride share app of their choice during the Fall and Spring semesters, while funds last.The students have to travel between 10pm -2am, Wednesday through Saturday. Complete instructionscan be found at:http://www.asi.csus.edu/programs/safe-rides/The last night this can be used for the Fall semester is tomorrow, 12/8/18, so get your free rides in quickbefore the winter break.