How many driving deaths are due to Marijuana?

Answer 1

400 per year 1% of fatal traffic deaths can be tied directly to marijuana use only. There are roughly 40,000 traffic deaths a year. While the number is small, it is certainly not zero. It is double the rate of cocaine alone traffic deaths. From druglibrary.org: "While drugs, other than alcohol, continue to be a highway safety problem in the USA, the magnitude and extent of the problem is much lower than alcohol. A national study of close to 2,000 fatally injured drivers conducted in 1990-91 in seven states in the USA revealed the following (Terhune et al, 1993) (see also Table 3): * Alcohol was found in 52 percent of the driver fatalities. * Drugs other than alcohol were found in 18 percent of these fatalities. * 64 percent of the drug cases also had alcohol. * A drug was detected without alcohol in only 6.3 percent of the driver fatalities. * Abuse drugs (.e.g., marijuana, cocaine) were found most frequently in the 25-54 age group. * Marijuana and cocaine were found more frequently in urban crashes than in rural ones. * Prescription drugs were found most frequently in the over 55 age group. * Drugs were found mostly in males. * Over 90% of drivers who had BACs >= .08 were responsible for their crashes. * The differences in crash responsibility rate between all of the frequently occurring drug groups and the drug free group were found to be statistically insignificant. Table 3

Most Frequently Occurring Drugs {| ! align="left" | ! align="middle" | Alone ! align="middle" | With Alcohol ! align="middle" | Other Comb. ! align="middle" | Total | Marijuana 1.1% 5.1% .5% 6.7% Cocaine .5% 4.3% .5% 5.3% Tranquilizers .8% 1.8% .3% 2.9% Amphetamines .7% .9% .3% 1.9% " |} references: http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/MISC/driving/s14p1.htm http://archives.starbulletin.com/2008/08/15/news/story10.html Terhune, KW, Ippolito, CA, et al, "The Incidence and Role of Drugs in Fatally Injured Drivers", Calspan Corporation, sponsored by U.S. Department of Transportation, NHTSA, Washington, DC, DOT HS 808 065, October, 1993.