Posted on February 15, 2023
HARTFORD- To better educate prospective young drivers, State Rep. Holly Cheeseman (R-37) testified in the legislature’s Transportation Committee on a proposal to include driver training and education on the dangers of marijuana use while driving.
The legislation, H.B. No. 5965 An Act Concerning Driver Education on the Dangers of Driving Under the Influence of Cannabis would require driving instruction courses offered at drivers’ schools, high schools and other secondary schools to include instruction on the dangers associated with the operation of a motor vehicle after the consumption of cannabis by the operator.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, marijuana can slow reaction time and decision-making skills, impair coordination, and distort perception—all skills needed to drive safely.
Rep. Cheeseman submitted her own proposal on the issue when the legislative session started in January.
“I believe new driver education is necessary and warranted. Adolescents’ cannabis use has risen and their overall perception that cannabis use is harmful has declined over the past two decades. The need for further education on its dangers is of paramount importance, to counter pro-marijuana messaging that abounds on social media and elsewhere,” said Rep. Cheeseman. Requiring new drivers to participate in education on these dangers as contemplated in this bill would be an important step in changing attitudes.”
According to AAA, ‘the message that drinking and driving is dangerous is nearly universally accepted – but the same cannot be said for cannabis-impaired driving. In AAA’s latest Traffic Safety Culture Index, only 65% of drivers felt that driving within an hour of using marijuana was very or extremely dangerous, compared with 93% of drivers who perceived that risk level from driving when they might be over the legal limit. Driving under the influence of cannabis is generally perceived to be more socially acceptable than driving under the influence of alcohol.’
The Connecticut Children’s Medical Center submitted testimony saying “Driving impaired is not a victimless crime. Impaired drivers are a danger to their passengers, other drivers, and every other road user. We encourage policymakers to make our streets safer for all by enhancing driver education for young drivers.”