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AAA: Fatal crashes involving high drivers increases after pot legalization

According to AAA, the number of drivers after a fatal crash who tested positive for active THC has doubled since marijuana was legalized in Washington in Dec. 2012.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — With Michigan beginning its first year as a legalized recreational marijuana state, AAA raises traffic safety concerns for drivers based on recent research into fatal crashes involving drivers under the influence of pot.

According to the research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, the number of drivers who tested positive for active THC -- marijuana's main psychoactive ingredient -- following a fatal crash has doubled since the state of Washington legalized marijuana back in December 2012. 

Including Michigan and Washington, recreational marijuana use is now legal in 11 states and Washington, D.C. and another 22 states have legalized marijuana for medical use.

The latest AAA research found that between 2008 and 2012 – the five-year period before the drug was legal – an estimated 8.8% of Washington drivers involved in fatal crashes were positive for THC. That rate rose to 18% between 2013 and 2017.

Credit: AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
The Figure shows the estimated percentage of all drivers involved in fatal crashes each year in Washington State who were THC-positive, based on both actual test results and multiple imputation of missing values. Before I-502 became effective, an average of 8.8% of all drivers in fatal crashes statewide each year were THC-positive. After I-502 became effective, this increased to an average of 18.0%.

The average number of THC-positive drivers increased, too. In the five years before legalization, an average of 56 drivers involved in fatal crashes each year were THC-positive. In the five years after legalization, the average jumped to 130. The new numbers bolster the findings of a similar report the AAA Foundation released in 2016. The study did not attempt to determine if marijuana contributed to the crashes included in its latest research. It focused only on the prevalence of drivers who tested positive for active THC.

“This study enabled us to review a full 10-years’ worth of data about the potential impact of marijuana on driving safety – and it raises significant concerns,” said Dr. David Yang, executive director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. “Results from the analysis suggest that legalization of recreational use of marijuana may increase the rate of THC-positive drivers involved in fatal crashes.”

Marijuana use can inhibit concentration, slow reaction times and cloud judgment. Its effects vary by individual, but a number of studies have concluded that marijuana use impairs the ability to drive safely. Previous research suggests that users who drive high are up to twice as likely to be involved in a crash.

“Simply put, if you’ve used marijuana, don’t drive,” said Jake Nelson, AAA’s director of traffic safety advocacy and research. “And if you plan to drive, don’t use marijuana.”

Last year, a Foundation survey found that nearly 70% of Americans think it’s unlikely a driver will get caught by police for driving shortly after using marijuana. The survey also revealed that an estimated 14.8 million drivers report getting behind the wheel within one hour after using marijuana in the past 30 days.

Read the full study here.

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