AAA: Marijuana Impairment While Driving Still Hazy

We all know the dangers of drunken driving, but what about driving while high? A new survey from AAA suggests drivers have a, um, cloudy perception of what constitutes drugged driving, but many think it’s a growing problem. And with Oregon, Alaska and Washington, D.C. voting in Nov. to join Washington state and Colorado in legalizing recreational pot, the potential looms for drugged driving to grow.

Related: Legalized Marijuana Makes Drugged-Driving Study High Priority

Eighty-five percent of Americans support marijuana impairment laws, according to AAA, and nearly half think that drugged driving is worse today than it was three years ago. Sixteen states have banned any trace of drugs in your system if you’re behind the wheel; five more have specific limits for marijuana. But drivers have mixed feelings about pot. While two-thirds think drinking and driving is a “very serious” threat, AAA says only about half of drivers feel the same way about drugged driving.

One in six Americans say they live in an area where general perception is that it’s OK to drive an hour after toking up. AAA begs to differ, pointing to federal research that shows  marijuana can impair driving performance for up to three hours after usage.

Cars.com photo illustration by Paul Dolan; photos by Dario Lo Presti/iStock/Thinkstock, Chad Baker/Jason Reed/Ryan McVay/Photodisc/Thinkstock, defun/iStock/Thinkstock and itayuri/iStock/Thinkstock