Is a Stoned Driver Safer Than a Drunk?
Pot smokers get into fewer deadly car crashes than beer drinkers, a new study finds, although its authors say the conclusion shouldn't be seen as encouragement to smoke marijuana and drive.
Your car insurance company certainly isn't cutting stoners a break.
The study found that in the 16 states where medical marijuana is legal, there has been nearly a 9% drop in traffic deaths since the laws took effect and a 5% drop in beer sales. Marijuana and alcohol are substitutes for each other, the researchers found, with fewer people drinking alcohol in states with medicinal marijuana. Pot use, however, increases.
"Use of marijuana, in general, increases in states that have medical marijuana laws," says D. Mark Anderson, an assistant professor of economics at Montana State University and co-author of the study with Daniel Rees, an economics professor at the University of Colorado Denver.
It's unclear why pot smoking is linked to fewer traffic fatalities, Anderson says."
Drugged or drunk, your car insurance doesn't care
Driving under the influence is often assumed to involve alcohol, but actually can involve any substance that impairs judgment. And to an insurance company looking at your driving record, it's all the same thing.
"When it comes to drug use, there's no middle ground, there's no safety zone," says Eustace Greaves, an independent insurance agent in Brooklyn, N.Y.
In New York, for example, people who drive under the influence lose their license for at least a year, must turn in their license plates and carry the infraction on their driving record for 10 years, Greaves says. "As soon as you lose your license, that's going to be reported to your insurance company," he says. (CarInsurance.com's "What's Your Limit?" tool, though geared toward those planning to drink, spells out the state by state penalties for a DUI conviction.)
When allowed on the road again, you will be treated like a first-time driver. That means higher insurance rates and none of the car insurance discounts that longtime drivers usually enjoy, Greaves says.
If you legally carry medicinal marijuana in your car, you may be able to get out of a traffic citation if stopped by police--and thus avoid increased car insurance rates or cancellation. But Nationwide Insurance will drop you if you're convicted of driving under the influence of drugs, whether used legally as a medicine or not, says Raphael Baker, a Nationwide agent in Atlanta.
Your policy will be rewritten by a nonstandard company at rates that are usually double what the standard rates are, Baker says.
The science isn't definitive… hey, pretzels!
While the university study showed a direct link between marijuana and reduced alcohol consumption, it wasn't as clear about why pot smokers get into fewer deadly car crashes. The researchers cautioned that legalizing medical marijuana may result in fewer traffic deaths because it's typically used in private, while alcohol is often consumed at bars and restaurants. Pot smokers typically stay home and use the drug without driving, while alcohol drinkers typically drink away from home and then drive home.
The two substances affect drivers in different ways, both of which can lead to accidents while driving. The study's authors found previous research suggesting that drunken drivers underestimate how badly their skills are impaired, and thus drive faster and take more risks. Drivers high on pot, however, tend to avoid risks.
Traffic fatalities are the leading cause of death among Americans ages 5 to 34, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. Since marijuana is typically used by younger people, at least recreationally, Anderson said the study could be a step toward decriminalizing marijuana use and lowering traffic fatalities among younger people.
The original article can be found at CarInsurance.com:Pot safer? Your car insurance doesn't care