Car accidents occur every day across the United States. But what are the statistics in your own backyard? Colorado accident rates are in flux now that marijuana has been legalized. Along with the three most common causes of car accidents — distracted driving, speeding, and drunk driving — what are the current statistics?
A Decrease
According to the Colorado official state web portal, between 2016 and 2017, there was a 1.4% decline in the number of car accidents that resulted in death or serious injury. Fatal accidents and injuries totaled 3,720 in 2016, while 2017 totaled 3,668. This is good news since the two previous years had resulted in large jumps of fatal accidents across the United States. Current claims from the Denver Post say that the spikes were due to higher levels of distracted driving and an increase of driving as a whole as the economy improved.
Nationwide
There has also been a national decrease in the number of purely fatal crashes, though an estimated 40,100 people still died as a result of traffic collisions last year. This was a slight 1% decrease from 40,327 in 2016. 2017 also witnessed a decrease of about 1% in car accident-related injuries. Regardless over 4.5 million people were damaged in car accidents last year. The cost incurred from these accidents, including car accident cases? An estimated $413.8 billion.
The Impact of Legalized Marijuana
Colorado is one of the few U.S. states that have legalized marijuana, but is it impacting our driving? The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) says yes. Among the 608 traffic deaths in 2016, marijuana influenced around 8% or so. In an anonymous survey done by the CDOT in 2017, a little more than half of the cannabis users claim they drove within two hours of using marijuana in the last 30 days. They even launched the Cannabis Conversation as a result of the spring of 2018. The group hopes to seek answers to why marijuana users aren’t taking driving and marijuana seriously.
What to Do If You’re in a Crash
Getting into a car accident is scary but you’ll never be alone. The car accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Edward Smith work hard to get you the accident compensation you deserve. Car accidents and motorcycle accidents in Boulder are inevitable, and who you choose to help is a serious choice. Call us or visit online today when you’ve experienced motorcycle accidents in Boulder.