Marijuana is legal for both recreational and medical use in California, along with many other states across the country. The same is true for alcohol use, of course, at least for those who are over 21 years old. Marijuana is restricted and controlled in much the same way.
There is evidence that car accidents involving marijuana have been getting more common over the decades. Some of this may be because the laws have been loosened and recreational marijuana is now available. This could also simply show that people are using it more often than they were before– for instance, a trend with young people has seen more marijuana use and far less alcohol use.
However, if you have to share the road with these drivers, you may simply be wondering about how much of a danger they pose to you. If you’re around someone who is high while they are driving, is that as dangerous as being near a drunk driver?
Drunk drivers are still vastly more dangerous
Drivers should never get in the car under the influence of either marijuana or alcohol. It is illegal in both cases and certainly makes a car accident more likely.
However, when looking into the statistics, some studies have found that the odds of a fatal accident caused by a driver who was using marijuana are only about 1.65 times as high as the odds of a completely sober driver causing a fatal accident – something that happens hundreds of times every single day. For drivers who are using alcohol, however, the odds of causing a fatal crash were 17.8 times as high.
If you have been injured by an impaired driver who caused an accident, then you need to know how to seek financial compensation.