Goggles to Teach Motorcyclists About Dangers of Riding High

8 years, 2 months ago - 19 January 2016, Autoblog
Goggles to Teach Motorcyclists About Dangers of Riding High
Marijuana is legal in several states, and so the Motorcycle Safety Foundation wants to get the message out that toking up before taking a ride is a terrible idea.

The group will soon launch the Riding Straight - Marijuana Awareness Host-An-Event Kit, which will simulate the significant dangers bikers face when riding stoned.

Experience being an excellent teacher, the Riding Straight program challenges participants to complete activities while wearing special goggles that simulate being high. MSF admits that while the eyewear can't fully replicate all the effects of being stoned – they can't give you the munchies, for example – the way it impairs cognition and motor skills is similar enough to be an effective tool.

Research indicates that drugged driving is already a serious issue on US roads. For example, a 2015 study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that 22 percent of voluntarily tested drivers had potentially impairing drugs in their system, including 12.6 percent with marijuana. The Governors Highway Safety Association also found that drugs were present in nearly 40 percent of drivers involved in fatalities that were tested in 2013.

The MSF will start selling the marijuana Host-An-Event kit in early 2016 for $595. The group doesn't require certification to perform the instruction, and it thinks demonstrating the danger of stoned riding would be great at motorcycle rallies and other events.