Category Archives: Driving

Marijuana DUI and Bicyclists

By Bay Area Bicycle Law, October 24, 2019 

Marijuana has been legal in California for recreational use since late 2016, and this is bad news for cyclists. According to a Forbes article, drugs have now outpaced alcohol as a primary factor in DUI fatalities.

In 2016, 44 percent of fatally-injured drivers tested positive for drugs—up from 28 percent in 2006. While alcohol DUI fatalities dropped from 41 percent to 38 percent. Of all the drug impaired fatalities, marijuana was present in half of these. Continue reading Marijuana DUI and Bicyclists

My sister would have been 63 today

by Phillip Drum, PharmD   Today my sister would be turning 63 — that is — if she hadn’t been killed by a stoned driver while on her way to work in 2012. The incident occurred a few months before Washington voters chose to legalize marijuana, without knowing that the guilty driver had used pot before the fatal crash.

Rosemary Tempel, RN, BSN, BC, CQIA was 56 years old at the time. She was driving to work at Virginia Mason Hospital in downtown Seattle, WA.  Timothy Durden was speeding in the center turn lane, traveling in the opposite direction while under the influence of marijuana.  He was speeding toward a stopped vehicle in a center turn lane.  At the last second before striking the stopped vehicle, Durden swerved, directing his Jeep into Rosemary’s car, which was traveling 35 mph in the opposite direction.  He catapulted over Rosemary’s car – crushing her and breaking her neck.  She had to be cut out of her vehicle.  

Durden’s car lost the two front wheels and tumbled down the busy road resulting in an 8-car pile up.  When pulling Durden’s vehicle upright, a Seattle police detective saw marijuana and multiple business cards to a marijuana dispensary fall from the vehicle. Continue reading My sister would have been 63 today

Car insurance rates to increase in states with legal marijuana

marijuana-car-insurance-rates

Vermont Voters Warned A Vote for Legal Pot is a Vote for Higher Insurance Rates

Reprinted with permission from Statehouse Headliners

By Guy Page
October 25, 2018 – Car insurance rates are likely to increase 4-6% in states with legal marijuana, a leading insurance industry actuary says.

“You’re looking at an increase of around 4 to 6 percent in overall coverage,” James Lynch, chief actuary of the Insurance Information Institute told the Boston Herald October 24, 2018. Even if drivers don’t smoke pot themselves, their insurance rates will increase regardless, Lynch said.

A 6 percent increase in insurance premiums on all 615,950 registered vehicles in Vermont would cost about $28.3 million. The average Vermont car insurance premium is $764, according to Reviews.com. A 6% increase would add $46 in annual premiums, for a total of $810. Continue reading Car insurance rates to increase in states with legal marijuana

Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana

Three Letters to the Editor on Marijuana Impaired Driving

Driving under influence of marijuana more deadly

Lawmakers rushed to legalize recreational marijuana. They didn’t think it through. They wanted the tax revenue it would generate.

They know what driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs can do. There are laws on the books for such offenses. But there are no laws on the books for driving under the influence of marijuana, and there is no test, either. Continue reading Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana