420 Use and Health

[wa3zrm]

Study: Fatal Car Crashes Involving Marijuana Have Tripled

SEATTLE (CBS Seattle) – According to a recent study, fatal car crashes involving pot use have tripled in the U.S.
“Currently, one of nine drivers involved in fatal crashes would test positive for marijuana,” Dr. Guohua Li, director of the Center for Injury Epidemiology and Prevention at Columbia, and co-author of the study told HealthDay News.
Researchers from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health gathered data from six states – California, Hawaii, Illinois, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and West Virginia – that perform toxicology tests on drivers involved in fatal car accidents. This data included over 23,500 drivers that died within one hour of a crash between 1999 and 2010.
Li reported in the study that alcohol contributed to about 40 percent of traffic fatalities throughout the decade.
The researchers found that drugs played an increasing role in fatal traffic accidents. Drugged driving accounted for more than 28 percent of traffic deaths in 2010, which is 16 percent more than it was in 1999. The researchers also found that marijuana was the main drug involved in the increase. It contributed to 12 percent of fatal crashes, compared to only 4 percent in 1999.
“If a driver is under the influence of alcohol, their risk of a fatal crash is 13 times higher than the risk of the driver who is not under the influence of alcohol,” Li said. “But if the driver is under the influence of both alcohol and marijuana, their risk increased to 24 times that of a sober person.”
Researchers found that the increase in marijuana use occurred across all ages for males and females.
Jonathan Adkins, deputy executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, told HealthDay News that marijuana impairs driving in much the same way that alcohol does.

(Excerpt) Read more at seattle.cbslocal.com ...

[Skell18]

Hahahaha no surprises there then

[lxskllr]

The study looks flawed to me. ~11% of the population are regular marijuana users, so logic dictates marijuana reduces the risk of traffic death by 2%. Seriously though, a positive test of marijuana doesn't prove the person was influenced at the time of the accident. The article is just click bait.

Edit:
I screwed up all my numbers. It actually would indicate a 4% increased risk of death since ~7% of the population uses marijuana regularly. In any case, my problem with the study stands.

[Thunder_Snus]

After years and years of middle school DARE programs I view all articles about marijuana as fishy. I was told all about the people that ended up in psych wards because of how powerful and dangerous marijuana was, if you used it just once you were automatically a member of al queda (sp?). The study might be true, it might not, good luck getting anyone to believe you after people finally admitted that maybe marijuana wasn't THAT bad.

[Frosted]

maybe marijuana wasn't THAT bad.

Any fatal car crash is pretty bad I'd say.

[Thunder_Snus]

Any fatal car crash is pretty bad I'd say.

It's if marijuana is a culprit behind it or not that will make most americans suspicious since up until a few years ago we were told it was a deadly drug that caused mass psychosis and other things everyone already knew wasnt true.

[Frosted]

I wouldn't dream of driving a car stoned. I won't drive a car if I've had ANY alcohol.
The only car accident I've ever had was caused by a stoner. He just drove straight into me from the other side of the road. Please don't ask me how I could tell he was stoned.

[trebli]

Please don't ask me how I could tell he was stoned.

Did he look like Tommy Chong? The stoner that ran into me at a stop light had the same 1000 yard stare as Tommy Chong.

[DanF]

I wouldn't dream of driving a car stoned. I won't drive a car if I've had ANY alcohol.
The only car accident I've ever had was caused by a stoner. He just drove straight into me from the other side of the road. Please don't ask me how I could tell he was stoned.

Any cop will know within seconds of a stop whether the operator is under the influence of anything.

But the one thing to always remember is: if you are operating after using, nine times out of ten you will be stopped for a reason other then erratic driving.

So if you are a "professional" user don't assume that you know how to drive under the influence.

Your days are numbered if you do.

Dan

[whalen]

Oh yeah? I had several cops pull up moments after my car burst into flames....I was just closing the trunk...just standing there with a shotgun in a scabbard and a pound of weed in a paper bag in my hand. They asked me if the shotgun was loaded..I said no.and we just stood there watching the fire truck pull up and start putting it out. Just never panic is the key.

[DanF]

Oh yeah? I had several cops pull up moments after my car burst into flames....I was just closing the trunk...just standing there with a shotgun in a scabbard and a pound of weed in a paper bag in my hand. They asked me if the shotgun was loaded..I said no.and we just stood there watching the fire truck pull up and start putting it out. Just never panic is the key.

whalen

My post was about DUI and how you can't hide it if you are. I'm guessing you may not have been stoned at the time.

At any rate I'll stick with my "your days are numbered" thought.

I'd avoid driving under.

Dan

[Andy105]

whalen

My post was about DUI and how you can't hide it if you are. I'm guessing you may not have been stoned at the time.

At any rate I'll stick with my "your days are numbered" thought.

I'd avoid driving under.

Dan

Right you are, Dan. You could be driving perfectly, and do nothing wrong, and some other dipsh!t hits you. Cops take a closer look at you at an accident, whether it's your fault or not. Or, even just a tail light burns out on you, and a cop on DUI/traffic enforcement uses that as probable cause to stop you. Nobody gets lucky every time.

[Thunder_Snus]

Most people my age don't care about DUI's which is pretty sad. My main deterrent is obviously not wanting to have to live knowing i killed someone, but also because i know what a DUI does to your auto insurance.....it's not a very good price...if you can get it at all without going through state run assigned risk.

[squeezyjohn]

It's the other way round in the UK ... only the most completely stupid individuals amongst generations brought up with drink-driving education would even consider getting behind the wheel after going to the pub. However the old boys who did it in the '60s and '70s just don't get the point and carry on as if it's their moral right to drink and drive ... it's scary actually.

[SnuserSnuffer]

I remember one of the first few times i smoked weed. I remember driving back at night and it seemed as i was approaching the red light it took AGES for it to get there. Time lapsed like ten seconds for each second. But it was hella fun and i survived. I just smoked too much.

But years later i was a regular user, only using one or two hits so i was slightly high but way sober in every way. Drove all over the place. Couldnt smoke much though.

And way later i did check myself in to a ward from trying to smoke too much marijuana. I went crazy. I should have stuck with smaller amts. :P