Whats the deal with driving while high? Why don't more people get caught?

[Jhill]

I've never heard of someone getting busted for driving while high. I know a lot of people that got busted for driving after drinking. Why is that? Is it because there is not really a way to test how high you are when you get pulled over?

BTW : I don't drink or smoke weed and drive at the same time.

 

[Toastedlightly]

For people I know who do it, the parents can't catch you in the car (or at least you are safer)

 

[sniperruff]

because you drive a lot slower. not that i would know. im looking to buy a car.

 

[FoBoT]

i watch Cops! a lot and they usually search the car and find drug residue and arrest them

 

[Ketteringo]

Smoking doesn't impair your driving skills like alcohol?

As Dave says: "Little girls that are 12 years old...........if your gonna smoke pot....please dont ride your bike "

 

[Pacfanweb]

In N.C., it's Driving While Intoxicated, not drunk driving. You could be under the influence of paint thinner, and if they find a way to prove it, you can get convicted.

With weed, they can prove it; It's just not as easy as a simple breathalyzer for alcohol.

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
i watch Cops! a lot and they usually search the car and find drug residue and arrest them

That's not the same thing.

 

[alien42]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
i watch Cops! a lot and they usually search the car and find drug residue and arrest them

cops, thats a great way to judge reality
as much as watching jerry springer

 

[sniperruff]

Originally posted by: Ketteringo
Smoking doesn't impair your driving skills like alcohol?

it does, but drunk driving is worse. you usually speed when you're drunk.

 

[bigalt]

they just don't really have the equipment to test whether you're currently under the effects like they do with alcohol.

it doesn't really impair your driving in the same way. you might be slow to react to the dog/cat/kid running out into the street, but you don't tend to weave back and forth.

 

[pennhunter]

In Ohio it's DUI, driving under the influence. In my eleven years as a police officer I've DUI'd one person who was stoned out of his mind, he also had 45 rocks of crack cocaine in his car so he was going anyway. Marijuana makes people drive 20 mph and sit through green lights. If they dip weed in pcp it's a different story though.

 

[Rogue]

Originally posted by: sniperruff

Originally posted by: Ketteringo
Smoking doesn't impair your driving skills like alcohol?

it does, but drunk driving is worse. you usually speed when you're drunk.

False. Based on my training, most drunks actually drive slower to try and hide the fact that they are intoxicated. More often than not, they confuse a red light with the tail lamps of a vehicle in front of them that they are trying to follow to mask their impairment. Drunks love the red lights on the back of a car and is often times why they also rear-end cars, even cars on the side of the road.

DWH (Driving While High, *I just made that up to clarify) is difficult to detect because officers usually key off of the smell of alcohol on the driver they interact with. Marijuana, unless smoked inside the vehicle, does not usually stand out as much. Besides, every pot head I've ever known has a tendency to mask the odor with whatever they can spray on themselves, burn (incense) or otherwise use to cover up the odor.

EDIT: In retrospect, I don't ever recall nailing someone for speeding and finding them to be drunk.

 

[thomsbrain]

because unless you are MAJORLY high, it's easy to drive high. the world around you appears to slow down, so there's no reaction time issues. most people who are high drive slower than usual. not that it's a good idea.

furthermore, driving under the influence of ANY drug is a DUI, not just alcohol. so when someone gets a "DUI" it could be anything.

 

[Bolvangar]

If a cop has a breath alyzer for proof of people drinking and driving how do they prove your under the influence of marijuana?

 

[BigJ]

In NYS, there are 3 types of offenses:

DWAI: Driving While Ability Impaired. This is anything between a 0.04 and 0.08 BAC level. There is a minimum of a 90-day suspended license punishment.

DWAI-drug: Driving While Ability Imparied by Drugs. This is non-alcohol related, and carries a minimum of a 6 month license revocation.

DUI: Driving Under the Influence. This is anything over 0.08 BAC level. This also carries a minimum 6 month license revocation.

So I'd be plenty careful about driving high.

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: Bolvangar
If a cop has a breath alyzer for proof of people drinking and driving how do they prove your under the influence of marijuana?

Have a DRE run a few tests.

 

[Rogue]

Originally posted by: bradruth

Originally posted by: Bolvangar
If a cop has a breath alyzer for proof of people drinking and driving how do they prove your under the influence of marijuana?

Have a DRE run a few tests.

I believe a simple HGN test can detect the use of substances other than alcohol.

HGN Testing

Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus is an involuntary jerking of the eye that occurs naturally as the eyes gaze to the side. Under normal circumstances, nystagmus occurs when the eyes are rotated at high peripheral angles. However, when a person is impaired by alcohol, nystagmus is exaggerated and may occur at lesser angles. An alcohol-impaired person will also often have difficulty smoothly tracking a moving object. In the HGN test, the officer observes the eyes of a suspect as the suspect follows a slowly moving object such as a pen or small flashlight, horizontally with his or her eyes. The examiner looks for three indicators of impairment in each eye: if the eye cannot follow a moving object smoothly, if jerking is distinct when the eye is at maximum deviation, and if the angle of onset of jerking is within 45 degrees of center. If, between the two eyes, four or more clues appear, the suspect likely has a BAC of 0.08 or greater. NHTSA research found that this test allows proper classification of approximately 88 percent of suspects (Stuster and Burns, 1998). HGN may also indicate consumption of seizure medications, phencyclidine, a variety of inhalants, barbiturates, and other depressants. Source

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: Rogue

Originally posted by: bradruth

Originally posted by: Bolvangar
If a cop has a breath alyzer for proof of people drinking and driving how do they prove your under the influence of marijuana?

Have a DRE run a few tests.

I believe a simple HGN test can detect the use of substances other than alcohol.

The eyes won't cross if they've been using marijuana, but I don't know if nystagmus is really applicable.

 

[Rogue]

Originally posted by: bradruth

Originally posted by: Rogue

Originally posted by: bradruth

Originally posted by: Bolvangar
If a cop has a breath alyzer for proof of people drinking and driving how do they prove your under the influence of marijuana?

Have a DRE run a few tests.

I believe a simple HGN test can detect the use of substances other than alcohol.

The eyes won't cross if they've been using marijuana, but I don't know if nystagmus is really applicable.

Don't know either. Never had the chance to HGN a doper, usually just the drunks.

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: Rogue

Originally posted by: bradruth

Originally posted by: Rogue

Originally posted by: bradruth

Originally posted by: Bolvangar
If a cop has a breath alyzer for proof of people drinking and driving how do they prove your under the influence of marijuana?

Have a DRE run a few tests.

I believe a simple HGN test can detect the use of substances other than alcohol.

The eyes won't cross if they've been using marijuana, but I don't know if nystagmus is really applicable.

Don't know either. Never had the chance to HGN a doper, usually just the drunks.

Same here.

 

[alien42]

no one ever gets a dui for being stoned cause the cops just take their stash for themselves and let them go

 

[Leetman]

Because it's easy to drive high unless you're obscenely high, and a lot of people do actually get caught for this, but it is usually when they have actually been smoking in their car.

 

[gabemcg]

The biggest problem plaugeing high-drivers is paranoia. Paraniod drivers tend to be bad drivers, and thats when there are problems. Obviously anyone who can't handle their pot should not drive.

For long trips, tho, nothing beats cruise controll in the slow lane on the highway, and a nice J

To all the police on this thread, I have a question...

If there were always something better to be occupying your time with (drunk drivers, purse-snatchers, domestic disputes, ect.) would you really care if you saw somebody smoking a joint walking down the street?

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: gabemcg
If there were always something better to be occupying your time with (drunk drivers, purse-snatchers, domestic disputes, ect.) would you really care if you saw somebody smoking a joint walking down the street?

Yes.

 

[Rogue]

Originally posted by: bradruth

Originally posted by: gabemcg
If there were always something better to be occupying your time with (drunk drivers, purse-snatchers, domestic disputes, ect.) would you really care if you saw somebody smoking a joint walking down the street?

Yes.

There's these little things called laws that we've sworn to uphold, maybe you've heard of them.