A new initiative from AAA and the Ohio Traffic Safety Office aims to keep drug-impaired teenagers from getting behind the wheel and coincides with a national enforcement campaign about marijuana and driving.
“Shifting Gears: The Blunt Truth About Marijuana & Driving” will teach high school students about the physical and cognitive impacts marijuana has on driving, according to Judy Converse, public information officer with the Ohio Traffic Safety Office.
“Marijuana can slow reaction times, impair cognitive performance, and make it more difficult for drivers to keep a steady position in their lane,” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in a fact sheet.
Data from the Ohio State Highway Patrol bear that out.
In 2023, the highway patrol recorded 306 deadly crashes involving marijuana, and, overall, 44 percent of traffic fatalities in the state involved someone under the influence of drugs.
Once health educators, school resource officers, and community leaders are trained on the Shifting Gears curriculum, it can be introduced in schools across the state. The same program, which was developed by AAA Northeast, is already offered in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island, Ms. Converse said.
Classroom activities will demonstrate weakened reaction time and visual perception, marijuana’s impact on short-term memory, and its effects on response times.
“Young drivers are often inexperienced, making them more vulnerable to risky behaviors and crashes,” said Kara Hitchens, public affairs manager with AAA Club Alliance. “By bringing this program to more classrooms in Ohio we can proactively educate the next generation of drivers.”
Students Against Destructive Decisions, or SADD, is also a Shifting Gears partner, and its chapters will be focusing on the effort to help identify agencies and organizations that can present the material to students.
The curriculum geared toward Ohio high schoolers coincides with a national marketing campaign from the U.S. Department of Transportation that specifically targets the consequences of getting behind the wheel while high.
Television and radio spots that feature “If You Feel Different, You Drive Different” and “Drive High, Get a DUI” are in heavy rotation across the country. The “high-visibility enforcement campaign” launched ahead of the Labor Day weekend and is now airing during the winter holiday season. It runs through Jan. 8, as will an increased presence of law enforcement on the roads.
The message of the national campaign is to plan ahead.
“If you are planning to use drugs, plan ahead,” the campaign says. Plan to get a ride whether it’s a sober driver, a ridesharing service like Uber or Lyft, or having handy the number of a taxi company.
While drunken driving is a perennial problem and contributes to crashes and deaths on the road, the legalization of marijuana adds a new element of concern for officials.
“Now that those 21 and older can legally purchase nonmedical marijuana in Ohio, there will be more opportunities for those who are underage to illegally access the drug,” said Emily Davidson, OTSO’s director.
“It’s important,” she added in a news release, “that Ohio teenagers know the risks of underage marijuana use, particularly if they plan to get behind the wheel. Cannabis-impaired driving is incredibly dangerous, and through this program, we hope to help teens make responsible decisions that keep our roadways safe for everyone.”
Five regional train-the-trainer sessions will be held across the state in January and February. The session for northwest Ohio is Jan. 21 in St. Marys. Registration for the free 2½-hour training is available on the otso.ohio.gov website under Programs.
The message from the national campaign is simple: “It doesn’t matter what term you use — high, stoned, or wasted — never get behind the wheel after using an impairing substance.”
First Published December 26, 2024, 9:54 p.m.
