Posted in Car Accident,In the News on May 25, 2013
Law enforcement agencies in Colorado are still pondering over the implications of the recent legalization of pot in Colorado. Certain amounts of marijuana will soon be legal in the state. However, the real challenge for law enforcement officers begins now. How do they keep stoned drivers from causing accidents?
Both Colorado and Washington had similar laws passed recently. However, the difference is that while Washington’s law does include a change in the DUI laws of the state in the form of a new blood test for marijuana, Colorado’s law has nothing of the sort. In Colorado, laws regulating impaired driving have been left unchanged, even though the number of people, who will now use pot legally, is bound to increase.
Driving under the influence of drugs is still illegal in Colorado. However, law-enforcement officers expect that they will see an increase in the number of people who use pot and drive. The absence of any clear-cut laws that define exactly what amount of marijuana can be present in a person’s blood alcohol, has made implementation of the law a challenge.
There are several ways that marijuana use can affect a person’s driving abilities. For instance, marijuana has been linked to dizziness, slower reflexes and delayed reaction times. A person who is driving with marijuana in his system is also much more likely to veer off his lane, or drive erratically.
Drugged driving or driving under the influence of drugs is already national problem. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2009, approximately one third of all drivers who were fatally injured in accidents tested positive for drugs in their system. To learn about how to contact one of our lawyers or how to file a claim, please visit: www.zanerhardenlaw.com.
