When we think about distracted driving, cellphones, fiddling with the car system or even eating may come to mind.
But one South Florida doctor says the root causes of distraction are much more wide-ranging, including driving while consuming marijuana, which, of course, is also driving under the influence.
Researchers with the Colorado School of Public Health recently found that cannabis use was associated with changes in driving performance, like weaving and switching lanes. They also found that edible cannabis led to more noticeable impairment, including slower speeds.
“It’s a public health problem,” said Dr. Louis Velazquez, a psychiatrist on the Treasure Coast.
Velazquez says this is a problem across North America.
“One study published in 2023 in Ontario found that cannabis-involved traffic injury emergency department visits increased by 475% over 13 years,” he said. “You can call it feeling too mellow to pay attention to traffic conditions or the distractibility of being self-absorbed with your mellow.”
Another potential cause of distracted driving is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, out of 15,000 adolescents, researchers found that the four-year crash rate for drivers with ADHD was 37% higher than that of those without it. Experts recommend taking prescribed medication before driving.
Velazquez also said older Americans may experience an inability to focus behind the wheel at the onset of early dementia. He added that even younger drivers can struggle with distractions, such as loud children in the back seat.
“We’re driving along, and we hear car sounds, and we hear the radio. We hear people talking, and a competent driver has to be able to filter everything out and focus on the task at hand: just driving,” he said.
“If someone’s depressed or anxious, they’ll be distractible,” he added. “The message to our community is that you need to be responsible for yourself when you’re driving and acknowledge that not just your safety, but the safety of others matters.”
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Velazquez said new screen technologies in cars have not helped and that sometimes, instead of drivers controlling their texting habits, the habit controls them.
“The phone makes a sound, and you respond,” he said. “The phone becomes your boss is in effect like Pavlov’s rats, who we’re conditioned to respond to a stimulus.”
Velazquez says even though we might be stimulated by our cellphones, text messages while behind the wheel can wait.
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