DENVER (AP) — A recent insurance study links increased car crash claims to legalized recreational marijuana.
The Highway Loss Data Institute, a leading insurance research group, said in study results released Thursday that collision claims in Colorado, Washington, and Oregon went up 2.7 percent in the years since legal recreational marijuana sales began when compared with surrounding states.
Legal recreational pot sales in Colorado began in January 2014, followed six months later in Washington, and in October 2015 in Oregon.
"We believe that the data is saying that crash risk has increased in these states and those crash risks are associated with the legalization of marijuana," said Matt Moore, senior vice president with the institute, which analyzes insurance data to observe emerging auto-safety trends.
Mason Tvert, a marijuana legalization advocate and communications director with the Marijuana Policy Project, questioned the study's comparison of claims in rural states such as Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana with Colorado, Oregon and Washington that have dense population centers and how that affected the study's findings.
"The study raises more questions than it provides answers, and it's an area that would surely receive more study, and deservedly so," Tvert said.
Researchers accounted for factors such as the number of vehicles on the road in the study and control states, age and gender of drivers, weather and even whether the driver making a claim was employed. Neighboring states with similar fluctuations in claims were used for comparison.
Insurance industry groups have been keeping a close watch on claims when auto accidents across the country began to go up in 2013 after more than a decade of steady decline. Insurance companies found several possible factors at play in the spike that included distracted driving through texting or cellphone use, road construction, and an improved economy that has led to leisurely drives and more miles driven, as well as marijuana legalization.
"It would appear, probably not to anyone's surprise, that the use of marijuana contributes to crashes," said Kenton Brine, president of the industry group Northwest Insurance Council that represents companies in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. He added: "It would be difficult to say that marijuana is a definitive factor, lacking a citation, in a significant number of crashes to say that what we're seeing here is a trend."
The Highway Loss Data Institute said its study examined claims from January 2012 to October 2016. "The problem here is that it's a pretty new experience," said Carole Walker of the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association, an industry group that covers Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico. "This is the first study that has been able to isolate legal pot as one of the factors."
Eight states and Washington, D.C., have legalized recreational marijuana for adults.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety spokesman Russ Rader adds that alcohol impairment remains one of the biggest concerns on the road.
"While we have proven countermeasures, proven strategies for reducing alcohol impaired driving, there are a lot of unanswered questions about marijuana and driving," Rader said. A study released last year by AAA's safety foundation found legal THC limits established by states with legal marijuana have no scientific basis and can result in innocent drivers being convicted, and guilty drivers being released.
Moore of the Highway Loss Data Institute said they hope the study's findings will be considered by lawmakers and regulators in states where marijuana legalization is under consideration or recently enacted.
Poster Comment:
Repeating ...
"It would appear, probably not to anyone's surprise, that the use of marijuana contributes to crashes" ...
#1: Gatlin To: All (#0)
Book 'Em Danno – Driving Under the Influence!
Gatlin posted on 2017-06-25 14:29:13 Reply Private Reply
#2: Deckard To: Gatlin (#0)
A federal study of drug and alcohol crash risk finds drivers who have been drinking are much more likely to crash than drivers who have consumed pot.
The study also found, after adjusting for demographic factors like age, gender and race, as well as alcohol use, marijuana users were not at a greater risk to crash than sober drivers.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted the study in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It compared more than 3,095 drivers in the area who were involved in crashes, and twice as many controls (6,190) who were not.
The findings diverge from several studies on marijuana and driving, but the NHTSA believes this new study is the most comprehensive.
“We believe this to be the largest, the most closely controlled study of its kind that’s been conducted in the United States,” said Gordon Trowbridge, a spokesman for NHTSA.
Study shows drivers using pot have the same chance of crashing as sober drivers
Source: NHTSA report
Nearly 8 percent of drivers who crashed had marijuana in their system, whereas about 6 percent of the control — those who didn’t crash — tested positive for THC.
But more young, male drivers consume marijuana. They’re also more likely to crash.
“It’s one of the fundamental truths of traffic safety: that young males are disproportionately prone to traffic accidents,” said Trowbridge.
After adjusting for demographics and alcohol use, researchers found that pot-consuming drivers had the same chance of crashing as sober drivers.
Deckard posted on 2017-06-25 14:32:18 Reply Private Reply
#3: Gatlin To: Deckard (#2)
First of all, since when did YOU start believing ANYTHING the federal government advocates?
Secondly, try convincing the family of the man and his twin daughters who were killed by a woman who admitted to smoking pot before driving head on into their vehicle on June 10, 2016, in Gila Bend, Arizona.
Gatlin posted on 2017-06-25 14:52:52 Reply Private Reply
#4: Deckard To: Gatlin (#3)
When did you stop worshiping the government?
I guess that NHTSA study fails to back up your "Reefer Madness" agenda.
So does this one:
Study: Weed Smokers are Slower, Safer Drivers
A provider of free online auto insurance quotes says it has conducted a study that concludes marijuana uses are safer drivers.
Manhattan-based 4AutoInsuranceQuote.com says its study “seeks to dispel the thought that ‘driving while stoned’ is dangerous.”
“What law enforcement agencies and insurers do not understand is that driving while high is actually a safe activity,” says James Shaffer, chief executive officer of the national auto-quote provider, in a statement.
Marijuana users may get into fewer accidents than other drivers, says the study, which looked at data on accidents, traffic violations and insurance prices. The only significant effect of smoking marijuana may be slower driving.
“Marijuana users often say that when they are high, they feel like they are driving 80 mph but actually are only going 30 mph,” says Shaffer. The opposite is true for drunk drivers, he adds. There are less traffic fatalities and fewer accidents in states where medical marijuana use is legal, Shaffer’s company concludes.
“This is what makes alcohol dangerous behind the wheel and marijuana safe,” Shaffer says.
Deckard posted on 2017-06-25 16:04:11 Reply Private Reply
#5: Gatlin To: Deckard (#4)
You do an awful lot of “guessing” don’t you.
You should try dealing with factual things one in awhile.
You may find that interesting and rewarding …
Gatlin posted on 2017-06-25 16:11:13 Reply Private Reply
#6: Liberator To: Deckard (#4)
Bwaahaa!!
"I only wish I could marry the Deep State. Is that wrong?"
Liberator posted on 2017-06-25 16:12:55 Reply Private Reply
#7: Deckard To: Gatlin (#5)
You are the Pele of trolling.
Eat a buffet of dicks.
Deckard posted on 2017-06-25 16:13:49 Reply Private Reply
#8: Deckard To: Liberator (#6)
Some things never change around here - the statists for example.
Deckard posted on 2017-06-25 16:14:59 Reply Private Reply
#9: Gatlin To: Deckard (#7)
Marijuana-related fatal car accidents surge in Washington state after legalization
Gatlin posted on 2017-06-25 16:16:38 Reply Private Reply
#10: Gatlin To: Deckard (#7)
You trying to give away seconds ...
Gatlin posted on 2017-06-25 16:17:42 Reply Private Reply
#11: Liberator To: Deckard (#8)
I know. Unbelievable. STILL. And now it's far worse....
This as the Insider-Statist saboteurs ignore the US Constitution, sabotage the President and nation, and stick it to We The People. These guys here (and we and they know who they are) are sycophants of ANY authoritah. Their azz-less leather chaps collections must be legendary.
Liberator posted on 2017-06-25 16:23:15 Reply Private Reply
#12: Deckard To: Gatlin (#9)
Washington Times - huh? Yeah that sounds about right coming from you.
The fatal crash study does not determine whether drivers were impaired....
Deckard posted on 2017-06-25 16:27:15 Reply Private Reply
#13: Gatlin To: Deckard (#12)
Coming from someone who believes and supports “federal government studies”….that’s hilarious!
Gatlin posted on 2017-06-25 16:35:48 Reply Private Reply
#14: Gatlin To: Deckard (#4)
Hey, Shaffer….here is one for you.
A driver who is accused of having marijuana in his system actually felt like he was only going 40 mph when he was driving 60 to 80 mph.
Damn that “Murphy’s Law”….eh?
Gatlin posted on 2017-06-25 16:47:29 Reply Private Reply
#15: Anthem To: Gatlin (#9)
Anthem posted on 2017-06-25 17:09:54 Reply Private Reply
#16: Anthem To: Gatlin (#0)
You are apparently on a mission, Gatlin, so I don't expect much "logical reasoning" from you on this topic. You might consider that there are vested interests in seeing a largely benign (and often helpful) substance remain illegal. Of course you may benefit from an association of some sort with those vested interests.
Anthem posted on 2017-06-25 17:17:42 Reply Private Reply
#17: Gatlin To: Anthem (#16)
You apparently are either trying to be a pain in the ass or you obviously need to learn how to properly research the Internet to obtain information.In either case….”I'm your huckleberry.”
I fail to understand your problem since it simply took me all of 60 seconds to find the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety Website and go right to story.
Here it is, published in the HLDI News and dated June 22, 2017:
If you have any problem understanding the IIHS posted story, please feel free to contact Chamelle Matthew, Senior Communications Specialist at cmatthew@iihs.org, office +1 703 247 1535 or fax +1 703 247 1588. Chamelle is available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Eastern time and he will respond to your inquiry within one business day.Gatlin posted on 2017-06-25 18:55:20 Reply Private Reply
#18: Anthem To: Gatlin (#17)
Your snark bit you in the ass.
Anthem posted on 2017-06-25 19:54:23 Reply Private Reply
#19: Gatlin To: Anthem (#18)
It shows you how much attention I pay to what you have to say….eh?
Gatlin posted on 2017-06-25 20:20:39 Reply Private Reply
#20: Anthem To: Gatlin (#19)
Anthem posted on 2017-06-25 20:52:47 Reply Private Reply