A latest research has discovered an affiliation between the legalization of marijuana and an elevated prevalence of automotive accidents.
May the legalization of marijuana be inflicting extra automotive accidents?
Based on a latest research revealed within the Journal of Research on Alcohol and Medication, states that legalized leisure marijuana had a rise in site visitors crashes and deaths.
“The legalization of marijuana doesn’t come with out a price,” says lead researcher Charles M. Farmer, Ph.D., of the Insurance coverage Institute for Freeway Security in Ruckersville, Va.
After legalization and the launch of retail gross sales, there was a 5.8% rise within the incidence of site visitors collision accidents and a 4.1% improve within the fee of deadly crashes, in accordance with Farmer and colleagues’ evaluation of 5 states that allow individuals age 21 and older to devour marijuana recreationally. In a comparative group of states with out marijuana legalization, the researchers didn't see any rise throughout the identical interval.
Total, the primary improve within the harm crash fee occurred after legalization however earlier than retail gross sales started. Harm charges from automotive accidents elevated 6.5% following legalization, nonetheless, they marginally declined (-0.7%) after retail gross sales began. Nonetheless, deadly accident charges climbed each after legalization (+2.3%) and after retail gross sales have been legalized (+1.8%).
“Legalization removes the stigma of marijuana use, whereas the onset of retail gross sales merely will increase entry,” says Farmer. “However entry to marijuana isn’t troublesome, even in locations with out retail gross sales. Customers who beforehand averted driving excessive could really feel that it’s okay after legalization.”
The sharper relationship between marijuana legalization and site visitors crash accidents, slightly than fatalities, could also be as a consequence of how some drivers compensate when impaired by marijuana. Usually, drivers underneath the affect of marijuana decelerate and preserve a bigger distance between themselves and different automobiles. Impaired however at decrease speeds, drivers could not be capable of keep away from a crash, however the crashes that happen could also be much less prone to be lethal.
Based on the authors, earlier research involving driving simulators have proven marijuana use to have an effect on response time, highway monitoring, lane retaining and a focus. Nonetheless, Farmer notes that the present research is correlational, and elevated marijuana use itself is probably going not the only real explanation for the will increase seen.
“Research in search of a direct causal hyperlink between marijuana use and crash threat have been inconclusive,” he says. “In contrast to alcohol, there isn't a good goal measure of simply how impaired a marijuana consumer has develop into. Till we will precisely measure marijuana impairment, we gained’t be capable of hyperlink it to crash threat.”
To conduct their analysis, the investigators collected knowledge on site visitors crashes and site visitors quantity from 2009 to 2019 from 11 states and from the Federal Freeway Administration. 5 states (Colorado, Washington, Oregon, California, and Nevada) legalized leisure marijuana through the research interval. A comparability group of six states (Arizona, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) didn't. The authors statistically adjusted for components recognized to contribute to crashes and fatalities, together with seat belt use and unemployment fee.
The modifications in harm crash charges assorted by state: Colorado had the largest leap (+17.8%) and California the smallest (+5.7%) after each legalization and the onset of retail gross sales. Nevada’s fee decreased (-6.7%). For deadly crashes, will increase occurred in Colorado (+1.4%) and Oregon (3.8%), however decreases have been present in Washington (-1.9%), California (-7.6%) and Nevada (-9.8%).
Farmer factors out that states contemplating marijuana legalization ought to contemplate just a few steps to assist forestall a possible improve in crashes. “First, persuade everybody that driving underneath the affect of marijuana is just not okay,” he says. “Then, enact legal guidelines and sanctions penalizing those that ignore the message. Lastly, be sure to have the sources (i.e., staffing and coaching) to implement these legal guidelines and sanctions.”
Reference: “Modifications in Visitors Crash Charges After Legalization of Marijuana: Outcomes by Crash Severity” by Charles M. Farmer, Ph.D., Samuel S. Monfort, Ph.D. and Amber N. Woods, Ph.D., 19 July 2022, Journal of Research on Alcohol and Medication.
DOI: 10.15288/jsad.2022.83.494
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