The AAA study examines Washington over a period of 10 years.
It is obvious that driving a vehicle while under the influence any is dangerous. This includes your irritating in-laws, who insist that you drive too slowly, and your loudmouth friend who demands you do a burnout. influence is the term used to describe marijuana. The AAA Foundation did a study to determine if it had a negative impact on drivers after it became legal in more states. The preliminary answer may be yes.
The study was limited to Washington state, which legalized marijuana for recreational use in 2012, and the only focus of the study was Washington. The study examined fatal accidents in Washington over a period of 10 years – five years prior and five years following the legalization. It found an increase in drivers who tested positive for Tetrahydrocannabinol. This is the main ingredient that gives marijuana its psychoactive effects.
The graph shows that THC was found in 8.8% of fatal car accidents before 2013. This number rose to 18% after marijuana legalization. Let’s boil that down to the actual numbers. 56 drivers were THC-positive in average before legalization. After legalization, the average driver is now 130. The study does not attempt to prove that marijuana caused these crashes. This simply indicates an increase in drivers who test positive for THC following a crash.
“This study allowed us to examine a complete 10-years’ worth data about the potential effect of marijuana on driving safety — and it raises substantial concerns,” Dr. David Yang, executive Director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety said. The analysis suggests that legalizing recreational marijuana use could increase the number of THC-positive drivers involved fatal crashes.
Currently, marijuana is legal in 11 states for recreational use. With more state governmentssoftening their position on the matter, this number will likely increase in the years ahead.