AAA Conducts Surveys to Reduce Driving After Cannabis Use

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In a March 12, 2025, news release¹, AAA announced results from two complementary studies on cannabis and driving in response to increased impaired driving. The studies², conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, intended to inform safety messages encouraging safer driving, and were created with the help of interview with 19 subject matter experts. Though different than the effects of alcohol and differing from person to person, fatigue or sleepiness, brain fog, changes in visual or auditory perception, impaired body movement, and hallucinations/delusions were described as some of the effects of cannabis.

“Understanding what motivates cannabis consumers to drive under the influence can be helpful in developing effective safety strategies,” stated Dr. David Yang, president and executive director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, in the news release. “With insights on perceptions, decision-making, and behavior, we aim to inform policies and interventions that make our roads safer for everyone.”

Also noted, cannabis, the third most used substance after nicotine and alcohol, is legal in some form in 38 states.

The first study surveyed 2000 cannabis users’ thoughts and reasons on driving under the influence. The eight states where the survey was conducted (Oregon, Michigan, Louisiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Florida, South Carolina, and Texas) had various laws surrounding medical and recreational cannabis.

Results highlighted from the first survey include (1):

• 44.1% said they consume cannabis multiple times per day
• 57.8% indicated that they drive daily
• 84.8% revealed that they drive the same day that they consume cannabis, with 53% saying they consumed an hour or less before driving
• 46.9% believe they either drive the same, a little better (14.7%), or much better (19.4%)
• 38.6% said they would trust messaging about cannabis use and safe driving from cannabis industry groups and cannabis brands/companies (37.3%)

The second study surveyed 800 participants to assess the most effective types of safety messaging to discourage impaired driving. The most engaging messages focused on personal responsibility and safety concerns; were realistic, positive, and diverse; avoided exaggerated stereotypes; and were tailored to the intended audience.

“Effective messaging about cannabis-impaired driving needs to include credible voices, real-world scenarios, and respectful language,” said Jake Nelson, AAA’s director of traffic safety advocacy. “Individuals who consume cannabis come from all walks of life and that should be reflected in the messaging.”

Partnerships between policymakers, traffic safety, community, and the cannabis industry were seen as beneficial to public education.

“Our research shows that effective messaging about cannabis-impaired driving needs to include credible voices and respectful language. There’s also no one size fits all when it comes to messaging as cannabis consumers are of many different ages and come from all walks of life,” says Marie Dodds, public affairs director for AAA Oregon/Idaho (3). “Partnering with the cannabis industry may be a good way to develop effective messaging on cannabis use and impaired driving. As cannabis becomes more widely used, safety messaging becomes more important than ever.”

References

1. AAA. High Stakes: How Cannabis Consumers View Driving While Under the Influence https://newsroom.aaa.com/2025/03/high-stakes-how-cannabis-consumers-view-driving-while-under-the-influence/ (accessed Mar 13, 2025).
2. AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Examination of Cannabis Users’ Perceptions and Self-Reported Behaviors to Inform Messaging to Deter Impaired Driving https://aaafoundation.org/examination-of-cannabis-users-perceptions-and-self-reported-behaviors-to-inform-messaging-to-deter-impaired-driving/ (accessed Mar 13, 2025).
3. AAA. AAA Research: How Cannabis Consumers View Driving While Under the Influence https://info.oregon.aaa.com/aaa-research-how-cannabis-consumers-view-driving-while-under-the-influence/ (accessed Mar 13, 2025).