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MADD Statement on IIHS Study on Crashes in States with Legalized Marijuana

Washington, D.C.- Today’s Status Report released by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows a 6 percent increase in insurance claims in states that have legalized recreational marijuana. It also shows a 5 percent increase in police-reported crashes in these states.

Driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal in all 50 states and DC. While the U.S. is seeing an unprecedented increase in marijuana use as a result of changing state laws and public opinion, we must account for increased risk on our nation’s roads.

There are two important takeaways from this report: First, it is never OK to use marijuana and drive, and 2) We must support our law enforcement and encourage more high-visibility traffic enforcement. The traveling public must understand the risks involved with drugged driving.

MADD reminds the public that it’s never OK to drive impaired by any drugs, never OK to drink and drive, and never OK to smoke or use marijuana and drive. We also encourage our everyday heroes in the law enforcement community to increase traffic enforcement for drunk driving. The same countermeasures that stop drunk driving – high-visibility enforcement, sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols – will stop drug impaired driving too.

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