Motorcycle Safety Foundation Response to Legalizing Marijuana
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) and automotive industry have a long history of alcohol induced impairment research. That research includes goggles which simulate the effects of alcohol on the ability to operate a vehicle. For years, the MSF only offered an alcohol impairment course for motorcycle operators. In 2016, due to the increasing number of states legalizing marijuana, they released a marijuana impairment goggle system. This system or kit was called the “weed goggles” kit. It was designed to increase the level of awareness of marijuana usage while operating a vehicle or motorcycle.
The kit cannot replicate the effects of being “high.” Instead, it allows the visualization of the distorted perception marijuana has on a person while in control of a motorcycle. The kit includes a course with activities that illustrate the effects marijuana has in traffic situations. There have been numerous studies which show marijuana effects on psychomotor skills in traffic situations. This testing revealed that a marijuana induced driver will drive slower and require a longer time response time to traffic or emergency situations as compared to a sober driver.
Testing for alcohol impairment is done with relatively simple procedures. Testing for marijuana impairment, on the other hand, is more complex. With the absence of smell and breathalyzer testing, it is more difficult to determine if a driver is high on marijuana versus intoxicated from alcohol. With more states legalizing marijuana and the MSF’s release of the “weed goggles,” research continues to grow. Testing improvements could help collision investigators and experts in determining the type and level of impairment, if at all, of a driver.
