As it turns out, I was using my own experience as a guide, but this meta study[0] supports my claim. Lab tests imply better driving skills while real word experience shows the opposite.
Cocaine and methamphetamine increase impulsivity, and “real users” (addicts) of meth in particular are prone to stay up for extremely long periods of time, long enough where the meth wouldn’t counteract the physical exhaustion, which would account for meth leading to more accidents in real life conditions.
I still maintain that cocaine or meth would improve the driving skills and response times for a rested person.
> I still maintain that cocaine or meth would improve the driving skills and response times for a rested person.
Yeah, it does look like the evidence supports that. Interesting stuff.
If restedness is the real factor, it becomes pretty difficult to regulate that. There are two problems I can think of:
1. I don't think that someone being on meth or cocaine meets the burden of proof to say they aren't rested.
2. People drive without adequate rest, even without stimulants. If someone is hasn't slept in 48 hours, it seems like it would be better for them to be on stimulants than not.
Cocaine and methamphetamine increase impulsivity, and “real users” (addicts) of meth in particular are prone to stay up for extremely long periods of time, long enough where the meth wouldn’t counteract the physical exhaustion, which would account for meth leading to more accidents in real life conditions.
I still maintain that cocaine or meth would improve the driving skills and response times for a rested person.
[0] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/22842792/