Toking, car crashes linked

Drivers who smoke pot up to three hours before getting behind the wheel double the risk of getting in an accident when compared to a sober driver, a new study finds.

Researchers at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada, reviewed nine studies of 50,000 serious or fatal car crashes worldwide, focusing on collisions between one or more moving vehicles involving the consumption of marijuana, according to BBC News. The study’s authors noted the increased risk likely was due to impaired brain and motor functions critical to road awareness, adding that previous studies in controlled conditions demonstrated a decreased ability to respond to potential dangers.

In the UK, 18 percent of people killed on roadways have evidence of illegal drugs in their system, with marijuana being the most common. However, the authors emphasized alcohol remains the most common substance present in fatal car crashes.