Colorado made headlines when it became the first state in the nation to legalize the recreational use of pot. Regardless of whether or not someone agrees with that decision, there are numerous ways that this decision may impact people, even those who may chose not to use marijuana themselves. One of these is when an accident occurs that involves a high driver.
Data collected by the Colorado Department of Transportation shows that in 2016, 115 drivers tested positive for pot after accidents. Of those, 63 percent had more than the legal limit of five nanograms per milliliter of pot in their systems. It is important to note here that if a driver died in a crash, they were not tested. Also, if a driver is found to have alcohol in their system, they are not subsequently tested for pot. This means the number of drivers with pot in their systems could be even higher than these results.
In 2013, a total of 47 drivers were found to have pot in their systems. The difference in these three years is a staggering 145 percent. In that same time period, the percent of fatal accidents in which pot was associated rose from 10 to 20 percent. The bottom line is that innocent people may be facing more risk on the road now because of the legalization of pot despite the fact that some do not agree with this claim.
People who are involved in accidents or who lose loved ones in crashes may want to talk to an attorney in Colorado for help in seeking appropriate compensation.
Source: The Denver Post, "Exclusive: Traffic fatalities linked to marijuana are up sharply in Colorado. Is legalization to blame?", David Migoya, August 25, 2017
No Comments
Leave a comment