In states that legalize recreational marijuana, more often accidents occur

The National Transportation Safety Board stated that the likely cause of a major church bus accident in Texas in 2017, which killed 12 people, was that the 20-year-old truck driver who flew into the bus was under the influence of recreational marijuana and sedatives means.

Фото: Depositphotos

In its report, the council claims that the number of drivers under the influence of drugs has increased across the country - and something needs to be done urgently, writes CNN. This call to action echoes a report released Thursday by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Highway Loss Data Institute.

Although the 2017 study of the year showed that legalization of recreational marijuana did not increase the number of fatalities in the states where this type of marijuana was legalized, in general, more car accidents occur, a report including two studies reported.

The first study showed that in Washington, Oregon and Colorado, the number of accidents increased by 6% compared to neighboring states where marijuana is not legalized. The authors estimated the frequency of accidents of insured vehicles during the year, taking into account differences in other factors that could contribute to the accident: for example, age, location, work and weather, and yet recorded a clear increase in numbers.

In the second study, cases of incidents reported by police officers before and after the legalization of recreational use of marijuana were considered. The conclusions were similar: an increase in the number of accidents by 5,2% after legalization.

Other studies have shown that in a small sample of drivers who used marijuana before driving, there was a clear slowdown in thinking skills and reactions. Testing was conducted on simulators. Scientists say that more testing is needed to understand the exact correlation between the effects of the psychoactive elements of tetrahydrocanabinol, the main ingredient of cannabis, which affects the psyche, the concentration of this substance in the blood and saliva, and the reactions of people driving.

Driving under the influence of any substance, including marijuana, is illegal in all states.

The National Transportation Safety Board said in its report about a fatal accident in Texas, where recreational use of marijuana is illegal. The council added that police across the country need better training and more effective tools to determine if a driver is under the influence of drugs. He also called on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to develop a system of more efficient practices and typical specifications of screening devices for saliva, which the police can use when checking.

There are no national standards or standardized tests for drivers who use marijuana, such as those designed to determine the alcohol content in the human body. Alcohol tests are moderately effective in determining whether a person has taken other substances.

About 6 of 10 Americans support the legalization of marijuana, a survey conducted in October showed.

This means more states are likely to legalize recreational use—which could ultimately lead to more drug-impaired drivers on the road.

“The driver of the pickup truck in this crash made a terrible choice with tragic consequences,” Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt said in a statement. “But the rising tide of drug driving did not start with this driver, and will not end with him. Law enforcement needs more tools and training to identify offenders before they crash, no matter what drug they are using.”

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