A recent report has been released by the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association on the escalating crisis of drugged driving. While the deadly effects of alcohol and driving are well known and increasing, studies on the effects of driving while under the influence of drugs do not exist despite increased legalization of marijuana and rising number of car accidents involving drugged drivers.
According to the Governor's Highway Safety Association in their 2017 Drug Impaired Driving: A Guide for States, in Colorado, as compared to the three years prior to legalization, “marijuana-related traffic deaths” increased by 48% in the three years following legalization, while overall traffic deaths increased by just 11%.
Furthermore, it was determined that in a four-month period in 2020 during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic lock-down, there was a rapid acceleration to 65% of serious car crashes or fatalities involving at least one drug.
