Perceived peer acceptability of cannabis-impaired driving was associated with 8 times higher odds of the behavior among Washington State young adults.
Traffic safety researchers, substance abuse prevention specialists, and young adult health program designers.
8x higher oddsof driving under cannabis influence when peers perceived it as more acceptable
What the researchers found
More positive perceived injunctive norms were associated with 8x higher odds of driving under cannabis influence (DUI-C), 6.5x higher odds of riding with a cannabis-impaired driver, 2.5x higher odds of DUI-alcohol, and 4x higher odds of riding with alcohol-impaired drivers.
Why it matters
Injunctive norms — beliefs about what peers find acceptable — are potentially modifiable through prevention programs, offering a concrete target for reducing impaired driving.
The numbers in context
1,941 young adults (18-25) in Washington State, 2019. Past-30-day rates: DUI-A 11.5%, DUI-C 12.4%, RWI-A 10.9%, RWI-C 20.9%. DUI-C had the strongest norm association (8x odds).
How the study worked
Cross-sectional weighted logistic regression of the 2019 Washington Young Adult Health Survey, assessing associations between perceived injunctive norms and four impaired driving behaviors.
Who was studied
1,941 young adults aged 18-25 from the 2019 Washington Young Adult Health Survey.
What this study cannot tell us
Cross-sectional design cannot establish causation. Washington State may not generalize to other states. Self-reported behaviors may be underreported. Norms and behavior may be bidirectionally related.
How to read the evidence
Cross-sectional survey with adjusted logistic regression; strong associations but causal direction uncertain.
When this study was published
2019 survey data from a legal recreational cannabis state (Washington).
The bigger picture
Cannabis-impaired driving (12.4%) was slightly more prevalent than alcohol-impaired driving (11.5%) in this sample, and its stronger association with peer norms suggests it may be more amenable to normative feedback interventions.
Replication
Single-state cross-sectional study; replication in other legalized states needed.
Funding
Not specified in abstract
Conflicts of interest
Not specified in abstract
Questions still open
- Would normative feedback campaigns specifically targeting cannabis-impaired driving be effective?
- Why is the norm association stronger for cannabis than alcohol impaired driving?
Read the original research
Injunctive Norms and Driving Under the Influence and Riding With an Impaired Driver Among Young Adults in Washington State.
The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 73(5), 852-858
Citation
Hultgren, Brittney A; Guttmannova, Katarina; Cadigan, Jennifer M; Kilmer, Jason R; Delawalla, Miranda L M; Lee, Christine M; Larimer, Mary E. (2023). Injunctive Norms and Driving Under the Influence and Riding With an Impaired Driver Among Young Adults in Washington State.. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 73(5), 852-858. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.06.010