DETROIT: A horrific crash that killed six highschool ladies in Oklahoma two years in the past has the top of the US Nationwide Transportation Security Board urging mother and father to warn youngsters in regards to the threat of driving after utilizing marijuana.
Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy made the attraction to folks Thursday as her company launched the ultimate report on the March 22, 2022 collision between a tiny Chevrolet Spark hatchback and a gravel-hauling semi within the small city of Tishomingo.
The board, after an investigation by its workers, decided that the crash was brought on by the 16-year-old driver slowing for an intersection, then accelerating by a cease signal as a result of she seemingly was impaired by current marijuana use and was distracted by having 5 teen passengers within the automotive, the NTSB report stated.
In an interview, Homendy additionally stated the hashish downside is not restricted to teenagers. As extra states have legalized leisure marijuana, teenagers and adults are likely to underestimate the dangers of driving below its affect.
“There is a notion that in states the place it is authorized that it is protected and authorized to drive impaired on marijuana,” she stated.
In its report on the crash, the NTSB cited research displaying that marijuana decreases motor coordination, slows response time and impairs judgment of time and distance, all important features for driving.
At present it is authorized for folks 21 and older to make use of marijuana recreationally in 24 states plus Washington, DC, in line with the Insurance coverage Institute for Freeway Security. Oklahoma would not enable leisure use, however like most states, it is authorized for medical functions. Driving whereas impaired by marijuana is unlawful in all states and Washington, DC.
The NTSB, which investigates transportation-related crashes however has no regulatory energy, put out a security alert Thursday urging mother and father to speak to younger drivers about how marijuana can impair driving, and the way they’ll make accountable selections to keep away from driving whereas impaired or using with impaired drivers.
Homendy stated states which have legalized marijuana are behind in ensuring folks know that it is unlawful to drive below its affect. Over half of People stay in a state the place leisure hashish use is authorized, she stated.
“Sadly, I feel state legal guidelines which can be legalizing leisure and medicinal use of marijuana have actually come earlier than ideas or motion on what are they going to do about visitors security,” Homendy stated. “They’re far forward on legalizing it, however very behind in relation to visitors security.”
States, she stated, want to gather extra knowledge on how legalizing marijuana has affected visitors security, and they should begin implementing legal guidelines towards driving whereas impaired by hashish.
“Enforcement has bought to be there in an effort to deter,” she stated.
One examine on crashes in Washington state, which has legalized leisure marijuana use, confirmed that extra drivers concerned in deadly crashes examined constructive for marijuana after it grew to become authorized, the NTSB stated.
In Tishomingo, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Oklahoma Metropolis, six highschool ladies bought into the automotive designed to hold 4 for a lunch break, the NTSB report stated.
At an intersection, the motive force slowed to 1 mile per hour (1.6 kilometers per hour), however accelerated and did not come to a whole cease for an indication. As a substitute, she sped up and turned left in entrance of the gravel truck. The truck driver braked and steered to keep away from the Spark, however hit the motive force’s facet at slightly below 50 mph (80 kilometers per hour). All six teenagers died of a number of blunt pressure accidents.
Checks on blood taken from the motive force’s physique discovered a THC focus of 95.9 nanograms per milliliter, the NTSB stated. If such a stage of THC, the primary chemical element of marijuana, have been present in a residing particular person, it will point out “a excessive chance that the particular person had used hashish very lately, and due to this fact was seemingly nonetheless experiencing acute impairing hashish results,” the report stated.
However the NTSB cautioned that body-cavity blood samples can typically be contaminated by different physique fluids or by THC from different tissues, together with the lungs, that will comprise excessive concentrations.
As well as, the Oklahoma Freeway Patrol discovered vaping mouthpieces and hashish buds within the automotive on the scene of the crash, the report stated.
The NTSB really helpful within the report that the Oklahoma State Division of Schooling develop a drug and alcohol abuse curriculum for native college districts that tells college students in regards to the threat of cannabis-impaired driving. At current, solely Massachusetts and Rhode Island have such course necessities, the NTSB stated.
The company additionally needs the Governors Freeway Security Affiliation, a gaggle of state freeway security officers, the Nationwide Convention of State Legislatures and the Nationwide Affiliation of State Boards of Schooling to tell members in regards to the Tishomingo crash and the necessity for hashish info at school and driver training coursework.
The protection affiliation stated in an announcement that cannabis-impaired driving is a rising security concern, and state freeway security workplaces are targeted on eliminating all impaired driving.
“We now have to begin speaking properly forward of time, to youngsters, that driving, having ingested or smoked or inhaled marijuana is impairing, and it is a threat to them and a threat to others,” Homendy stated.
Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy made the attraction to folks Thursday as her company launched the ultimate report on the March 22, 2022 collision between a tiny Chevrolet Spark hatchback and a gravel-hauling semi within the small city of Tishomingo.
The board, after an investigation by its workers, decided that the crash was brought on by the 16-year-old driver slowing for an intersection, then accelerating by a cease signal as a result of she seemingly was impaired by current marijuana use and was distracted by having 5 teen passengers within the automotive, the NTSB report stated.
In an interview, Homendy additionally stated the hashish downside is not restricted to teenagers. As extra states have legalized leisure marijuana, teenagers and adults are likely to underestimate the dangers of driving below its affect.
“There is a notion that in states the place it is authorized that it is protected and authorized to drive impaired on marijuana,” she stated.
In its report on the crash, the NTSB cited research displaying that marijuana decreases motor coordination, slows response time and impairs judgment of time and distance, all important features for driving.
At present it is authorized for folks 21 and older to make use of marijuana recreationally in 24 states plus Washington, DC, in line with the Insurance coverage Institute for Freeway Security. Oklahoma would not enable leisure use, however like most states, it is authorized for medical functions. Driving whereas impaired by marijuana is unlawful in all states and Washington, DC.
The NTSB, which investigates transportation-related crashes however has no regulatory energy, put out a security alert Thursday urging mother and father to speak to younger drivers about how marijuana can impair driving, and the way they’ll make accountable selections to keep away from driving whereas impaired or using with impaired drivers.
Homendy stated states which have legalized marijuana are behind in ensuring folks know that it is unlawful to drive below its affect. Over half of People stay in a state the place leisure hashish use is authorized, she stated.
“Sadly, I feel state legal guidelines which can be legalizing leisure and medicinal use of marijuana have actually come earlier than ideas or motion on what are they going to do about visitors security,” Homendy stated. “They’re far forward on legalizing it, however very behind in relation to visitors security.”
States, she stated, want to gather extra knowledge on how legalizing marijuana has affected visitors security, and they should begin implementing legal guidelines towards driving whereas impaired by hashish.
“Enforcement has bought to be there in an effort to deter,” she stated.
One examine on crashes in Washington state, which has legalized leisure marijuana use, confirmed that extra drivers concerned in deadly crashes examined constructive for marijuana after it grew to become authorized, the NTSB stated.
In Tishomingo, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Oklahoma Metropolis, six highschool ladies bought into the automotive designed to hold 4 for a lunch break, the NTSB report stated.
At an intersection, the motive force slowed to 1 mile per hour (1.6 kilometers per hour), however accelerated and did not come to a whole cease for an indication. As a substitute, she sped up and turned left in entrance of the gravel truck. The truck driver braked and steered to keep away from the Spark, however hit the motive force’s facet at slightly below 50 mph (80 kilometers per hour). All six teenagers died of a number of blunt pressure accidents.
Checks on blood taken from the motive force’s physique discovered a THC focus of 95.9 nanograms per milliliter, the NTSB stated. If such a stage of THC, the primary chemical element of marijuana, have been present in a residing particular person, it will point out “a excessive chance that the particular person had used hashish very lately, and due to this fact was seemingly nonetheless experiencing acute impairing hashish results,” the report stated.
However the NTSB cautioned that body-cavity blood samples can typically be contaminated by different physique fluids or by THC from different tissues, together with the lungs, that will comprise excessive concentrations.
As well as, the Oklahoma Freeway Patrol discovered vaping mouthpieces and hashish buds within the automotive on the scene of the crash, the report stated.
The NTSB really helpful within the report that the Oklahoma State Division of Schooling develop a drug and alcohol abuse curriculum for native college districts that tells college students in regards to the threat of cannabis-impaired driving. At current, solely Massachusetts and Rhode Island have such course necessities, the NTSB stated.
The company additionally needs the Governors Freeway Security Affiliation, a gaggle of state freeway security officers, the Nationwide Convention of State Legislatures and the Nationwide Affiliation of State Boards of Schooling to tell members in regards to the Tishomingo crash and the necessity for hashish info at school and driver training coursework.
The protection affiliation stated in an announcement that cannabis-impaired driving is a rising security concern, and state freeway security workplaces are targeted on eliminating all impaired driving.
“We now have to begin speaking properly forward of time, to youngsters, that driving, having ingested or smoked or inhaled marijuana is impairing, and it is a threat to them and a threat to others,” Homendy stated.
