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Cannabis-taking drivers veer off course, study shows

Donnerstag, 14. Dezember 2000 / 14:52 Uhr

London - Motorists who drive after smoking cannabis slow down but find it hard to steer round corners, say scientists at the British Transport Research Laboratory in Crowthorne, Berkshire.

The researchers concluded that cannabis had a bad effect on driving - but not as bad as alcohol. The team recruited 15 volunteers to undergo driving tests while under the influence of high or low doses of cannabis, or having not taken the drug at all.

The participants either smoked ready-rolled "spliffs" or rolled their own with resin supplied under a Government licence, New Scientist magazine reported. They were then put through their paces on a hi-tech driving simulator. The researchers found that volunteers drove more slowly and cautiously to compensate for their intoxication after taking cannabis.

But they found it very difficult to follow a figure-of-eight loop of road when given a high dose. Steering ability was the only skill adversely affected. Reaction times to motorway hazards and performance on cognitive tests remained unchanged. Previous trials at the laboratory have shown that alcohol and tiredness have a worse effect on driving, affecting higher thinking processes. (la/dpa)