Slashdot Mirror
Federal Study: Marijuana Use Doesn't Increase Auto Crash Rates
An anonymous reader writes: After the legalization of marijuana in multiple states around the U.S., many are worried about a corresponding uptick in car crashes as people drive while under the influence of pot. But according to a new federal study (PDF) commissioned by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, those fears seem unfounded. They report that after adjusting for other factors (people who tend to drive after using marijuana also tend to be more crash-prone in general), there was no statistically significant increase in crash rates by drivers who tested positive for the drug. It's still a bad idea to drive high, but driving drunk is far, far worse: "One substance was shown to have a major influence on crashes: alcohol. The study confirmed the enormous danger of drinking and driving, even after age and sex adjustment: drivers with a 0.05% blood-alcohol level were found to be twice as likely to be in a crash. For a person weighing 180 to 190 pounds, that could be a single can of beer, glass of wine, or shot of liquor. At 0.08% (two drinks), the likelihood is quadrupled, and at .20% (four drinks or more), the risk is higher by 23 times."
IMO, there's not enough samples to produce this study. The rate of use of marijuana while driving is still statistically -- and radically -- low. As use becomes normalized (in other words, accepted), you'll see abuse while driving to increase as well.
But, let's say what this is really trying to do: push the Legalization activist agenda. Sorry, pot is as much a drug as meth. So is alcohol. It's disappointing to see my tax money going to support the use of either.
To Copy from One is Plagiarism; To Copy from Many is Research.
How you would know the bad driver is stoned is beyond me, you goofball. Try again. You sure the person wasn't really old or simply a poor driver. I was just in denver for a week and you're full of shit.