22.7 million American adults think it's safe to drive under the influence of cannabis.
Almost 1 in 10 (8.9%) American adults say it’s safe to drive under the influence of cannabis, according to a survey conducted by Finder.com. Not only do nearly 23 million American adults think that it’s safe to drive under the influence, an additional 31.6 million (12.4%) of adults think that there are safe levels of high driving depending on the driver’s THC levels.
While it is a little concerning that around 1 in 5 American adults think it’s OK to be behind the wheel after smoking a bowl, the vast majority (78.7%) do think that it’s a bad idea. Of the 200 million who think that it’s unsafe, 63.90% believe it is as unsafe as drunk driving.
However, while 13.55% say it’s not safe for drivers to smoke weed before driving, they do believe that driving high is safer than drunk driving, with only 1.25% thinking that being drunk behind the wheel is the safer option.
Do you believe it is safe to drive under the influence of cannabis?
Selection
Number respondents
Yes
8.90%
Depends on the THC levels of the driver
12.40%
No, but cannabis is safer than alcohol
13.55%
No, but alcohol is safer than cannabis
1.25%
No, alcohol and cannabis are equally unsafe
63.90%
Men slightly more likely to high drive than women
While both men and women are mostly out on the idea of high driving being a good idea, slightly more men than women think that it’s OK to get high and drive, with 10.64% of men saying it’s fine, with only 8.46% of women saying the same.
The largest discrepancy between the sexes is related to whether or not drunk and high driving are as dangerous as each other, with more women (63.56%) than men (60.64%) believing so.
Do you believe it is safe to drive under the influence of cannabis? – by gender
Selection
% of male respondents
% of female respondents
Yes
10.64%
8.46%
Depends on the THC levels of the driver
13.56%
12.26%
No, but cannabis is safer than alcohol
13.96%
14.68%
No, but alcohol is safer than cannabis
1.20%
1.04%
No, alcohol and cannabis are equally unsafe
60.64%
63.56%
Youngest Americans the least likely to think it’s safe to get high and drive
Apparently wisdom doesn’t always come with age, as it’s the youngest amongst us that are least likely to think it’s a good idea to get behind the wheel while high, with only 6.15% of those aged 18-24 thinking that it’s OK to drive while high.
Leading the way for those believing that it’s safe to drive high is actually middle-aged Americans, with 12.31% of 35–44 year olds and 11.4% 45–54 year olds saying it’s OK.
Do you believe it is safe to drive under the influence of cannabis? – by age
Selection
18-24 years old
25-34 years old
35-44 years old
45-54 years old
55-64 years old
65+ years old
Yes
6.15%
9.58%
12.31%
11.40%
9.25%
7.98%
Depends on the THC levels on the driver
13.85%
10.18%
18.46%
15.79%
11.34%
10.74%
No, but cannabis is safe than alcohol
26.15%
21.56%
16.92%
12.28%
11.34%
10.74%
No, but alcohol is safer than cannabis
0.00%
2.99%
1.03%
0.88%
0.60%
1.23%
No, alcohol and cannabis are equally unsafe
53.85%
55.69%
51.28%
59.65%
67.46%
69.33%
Does weed legalization cause more crashes?
Not according to the limited research that’s available.
A 2017 study looked at crash fatality rates in Colorado and Washington following the legalization of weed for recreational use. It found no statistically relevant increase in the number of road fatalities involving high drivers compared to states where recreational weed was still illegal. Research over a longer time may produce more conclusive evidence.
Is driving riskier on the 4/20 weed holiday?
Maybe. Finder compared fatal accidents occurring on April 20th with accidents during the same time period in weeks on either side of 4/20. We found that there was a 21.57% increase in the chance of being involved in a fatal crash on 4/20 over the same day the previous week.
Although holiday weekends in general are known for a higher risk of car accidents, 4/20 is one of the single riskiest days to drive around.
Look at the stats for St. Patty’s Day. Close to 90 people were killed in accidents on St Patrick’s Day 2019, according to the NHTSA. While that’s a lot of people, our own findings reveal it’s well shy of the three most deadly holidays on American roads:
Memorial Day: 140 fatalities
4/20 “Weed” Day: 140 fatalities
Veterans Day: 118 fatalities
Research indicates that April 20th is one of the most dangerous days to drive around on, even more than most other holidays.
While fatal crashes across the US appear to have increased by 21.57% on 4/20 over the same day the previous week, there doesn’t appear to be much of a correlation between the legalization of weed and the chance of involvement in a fatal accident. In fact, a 2018 JAMA study using data from 1992 onwards showed the states that saw the highest risk increase on 4/20 were all states where recreational cannabis is still illegal: Georgia, New York and Texas.
Bottom line
Getting behind the wheel after toking or drinking is a bad idea. Not only do you put the lives of anyone on the road at risk (including yourself), but you run the risk of landing yourself in jail, losing your license and paying more for car insurance in the future.
If you plan to fire one up this 4/20, don’t drive. Take public transportation or rideshare.
Methodology
Our cannabis safety beliefs data is based on an online survey of 2,000 US adults over the age of 18 commissioned by Finder and conducted by Google Surveys from March 25, 2021, to April 7, 2021. Participants were users on websites in the Google Surveys Publisher Network and were unpaid.
We assume the participants in our survey represent the US population of 255.2 million Americans who are at least 18 years old according to the July 2019 US Census Bureau population estimate. This assumption is made at the 95% confidence level with a 2.2% margin of error.
Our survey asked respondents whether they believed it was safe to drive under the influence of cannabis with the possible selections:
Yes
Depends on the THC levels of the driver
No, but cannabis is safer than alcohol
No, but alcohol is safer than cannabis
No, alcohol and cannabis are equally unsafe
Holiday motor vehicle fatalities were determined by analysis of Fatality Analysis Reporting System data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Holidays were determined based on single days, not holiday weekends.
Past studies
2019
With more states legalizing cannabis for both recreational and medical purposes, instances of drugged driving is on the rise. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted a high driving study in 2013–2014, finding that 20% of nighttime weekend drivers tested positive for drugs.
It’s concerning this year because 4/20 falls on a weekend, which could correlate to more high drivers getting behind the wheel this weekend.
How many people are driving high?
It’s hard to know just how many people are driving while stoned because few studies can track the exact numbers. However, we know the number is increasing.
About 20% of nighttime and weekend drivers test positive for drugs, with 12.6% of those drivers testing positive for THC, according to the NHTSA study. This is an increase of 48% compared to a separate 2007 NHTSA study, which found only 8.6% of weekend nighttime drivers tested positive for THC, the chemical in cannabis responsible for getting imbibers high.
In 2016, an estimated 222 million Americans had a driver’s license, according to Statista. Using that stat to extrapolate the number of drivers under the influence of THC means that roughly 19 million drivers in 2007 and 28 million drivers in 2013–2014 could have been driving while stoned. If the number of THC drivers continues increasing at the same pace, the number of drivers who’ve smoked cannabis before driving could reach as high as 41.4 million drivers by 2021.
Who’s driving high?
Knowing the exact number of people who drive while high is hard to pin down. And so is knowing who is doing so.
In the last two decades, more drivers involved in road fatalities are testing positive for cannabinol, a component in marijuana.That’s according to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System data analysis from 1999 to 2010.
All age groups saw a bump in cannabinol use. Those under the age of 25 saw a sharp increase in the number of fatalities involving drivers under the influence of cannabis, jumping to 20% in 2010 from about 8.5% in 1999.
How often do people drive while high?
About half of medical marijuana users admitted to driving while high at least once in the previous six months, according to a study out of the University of Michigan published in 2018.
Does drugged driving cause more crashes than drunk driving?
That’s a tough question to unpack. First, not all accidents are reported to police, so it’s hard to know if drivers in those accidents were under the influence of drugs.
Finally, police usually test for alcohol following an accident or traffic stop. If the driver tests positive for alcohol, officers generally don’t further test for other substances. That’s because they already have enough to charge the driver with DWI. And even if they did detect drugs, it’s often hard to work out which substance more strongly contributed to the driver getting in an accident or driving erratically.
However, as to whether people who smoke weed are more likely than those who drink to get into a fatal accident, the stats say that you’re more likely to be involved in a fatal accident after drinking than after toking. In 2015, drunk drivers accounted for 29% of road fatalities, whereas a 2010 NIDA study found that 11% of deadly accidents involved a drugged driver.
Does weed legalization cause more crashes?
Not according to the limited research that’s available.
A 2017 study looked at crash fatality rates in Colorado and Washington following the legalization of weed for recreational use. It found no statistically relevant increase in the number of road fatalities involving high drivers compared to states where recreational weed was still illegal. Research over a longer time may produce more conclusive evidence.
Is driving riskier on the 4/20 weed holiday?
Maybe. A research letter published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine showed a correlation between fatal accidents occurring from 4:20 pm to midnight on April 20th compared with accidents during the same time period in weeks on either side of 4/20. The researchers saw a 12% increase in the chance of being involved in a fatal crash over the same day the previous week.
However, holiday weekends in general are known for a higher risk of car accidents, and 4/20 isn’t the riskiest day to drive by a long shot.
Look at the stats for the drinkingest of all drinking days: St. Patty’s Day. Close to 60 people were killed in drunk driving accidents over St Patrick’s weekend 2017, according to the NHTSA. While that’s a lot of people, our own findings reveal it’s well shy of the three most deadly weekends on American roads:
Research indicates that it’s much more dangerous to drive on a major holiday than on April 20th.
What if weed isn’t legal in my state?
While fatal crashes across the US appear to have increased by 12% on 4/20, there doesn’t appear to be much of a correlation between the legalization of weed and the chance of involvement in a fatal accident. In fact, the 2018 JAMA study using data from 1992 onwards showed the states that saw the highest risk increase on 4/20 were all states where recreational cannabis is still illegal: Georgia, New York and Texas.
Bottom line
Getting behind the wheel after toking or drinking is a bad idea. Not only do you put the lives of anyone on the road at risk (including yourself), but you run the risk of landing yourself in jail, losing your license and paying more for car insurance in the future.
If you plan to fire one up this 4/20, don’t drive. Take public transportation or rideshare.
For all media inquiries, please contact:
Richard Laycock, Insights editor and senior content marketing manager
Richard Laycock is Finder’s NYC-based senior content marketing manager & insights editor, spending the last decade data diving, writing and editing articles about all things personal finance. His musings can be found across the web including on NASDAQ, MoneyMag, Yahoo Finance and Travel Weekly. Richard studied Media at Macquarie University, including a semester abroad at The Missouri School of Journalism (MIZZOU).
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