While some forms of cannabis is legal in 38 states, with 24 allowing recreational use and 14 allowing for medical use only, AAA is warning drivers of the dangers of driving while under the influence of cannabis. 

“Although AAA does not take a position on the legality of marijuana, we strongly oppose people driving under the influence of the drug,” said Megan Cooper, spokeswoman for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Marijuana causes impairing effects that make it unsafe to operate a motor vehicle.”

The AAA for Traffic Safety conducted two studies to both analyze cannabis consumers’ thoughts on the subject and their reasons for driving under the influence, as well as develop messages that might deter them from doing it in the future.

The first study revealed key themes about consumers’ assumptions about driving under the influence of cannabis:

• Daily and frequent consumption
  • 44.1% say they consume cannabis multiple times per day
• Driving regularly
  • 57.8% indicated that they drive daily
• Consuming then driving is common
  • 84.8% revealed that they drive the same day that they consume cannabis
  • 53% say they consume an hour or less before driving
• Believe consumption has little effect on driving
  • 46.9% say they drive the same
  • 14.7% say they drive better
  • 19.4% say they drive much better
• Cannabis industry carries weight
  • 38.6% say they would trust messaging about cannabis use and safe driving from cannabis industry groups and cannabis brands/companies (37.3%)

“Understanding what motivates cannabis consumers to drive under the influence can be helpful in developing effective strategies that make our roads safer for everyone,” said Dr. David Yang, president and executive director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

The second study also gauged habits, behaviors, and perceptions of cannabis users. AAA says it primarily focused on what types of impaired driving messages resonated most with participants who are regular cannabis consumers. This is what they found to be most engaging, according to AAA:

• Messages that highlight personal responsibility and safety concerns performed better than messages based on legal risks.
• Participants strongly preferred realistic, positive, and diverse messaging that avoids exaggerated stereotypes.
• To ensure relevancy, messages should be tailored to the intended audience (no one size fits all).

“Effective messaging about cannabis-impaired driving needs to include credible voices, real-world scenarios, and respectful language,” said Jake Nelson, AAA’s director of traffic safety advocacy. “Individuals who consume cannabis come from all walks of life and that should be reflected in the messaging.”

AAA is prompting policymakers to use this knowledge to partner with these groups to make impactful and engaging messaging on the dangers of impaired driving. They say this method of engaging with the traffic safety community could also help enhance public education campaigns. 

“As cannabis becomes more widely used, relevant and engaging public health messaging will be more critical than ever. Combatting impaired driving must be multifaceted – employing policy, enforcement, environmental strategies, and health information, all to improve public safety,” says AAA. “AAA strongly encourages the cannabis industry, policymakers, and other traffic safety stakeholders to use these findings to advance public education about the dangers of cannabis-impaired driving.”

For more information, visit the AAA website.