50% of Teen, Young Driver Car Accident Fatalities Linked to Pot, Alcohol

Alcohol and marijuana use seriously increase the risk of accidents involving teen and young adult drivers. According to new statistics, approximately 50% of teen and young adult motorists, who are fatally injured in car accidents, are driving under the influence of marijuana, alcohol or a combination of both.

The findings were based on an analysis of accident data in those states where it is mandated to conduct toxicology screening tests on fatal accident victims. The study found that accident victims above the age of 21 and of legally drinking age, were much more likely than younger victims to have used a combination of alcohol and marijuana, just before the accident. This seems to prove that even when people are of the legal age for drinking alcohol, it doesn’t reduce their risk of engaging in destructive driving practices that include both marijuana and alcohol.

The researchers also found that more than half of the young motorists, who died in the accidents, were either high on marijuana, or drunk at the time of the accident. About 6.8% of the victims tested had alcohol in their systems at the time of the accident, while 5.9% had traces of marijuana. 7.6% had used both marijuana and alcohol before the accident.

The researchers were also looking for evidence to indicate that lowering the minimum drinking age from 21 to 18, would lead to a reduction in the use of marijuana among young adults. They found that this was not the case at all. Rather, they found that lowering the drinking age could actually lead to increased consumption of a combination of alcohol and marijuana by young drivers.

Accidents involving teen and young drivers typically tend to involve speeding and aggressive driving. If you have recently suffered injuries in an accident, speak to a Burbank car accident lawyer about filing a claim for compensation.