Motorist fatalities have occurred less often in Colorado since legalization

Data from 2013 and 2014 reveals a slight decrease in fatal accidents

Despite recent headlines concerning (and perhaps manufacturing) a “stoned driving epidemic” it seems the first five months of Colorado’s recreational marijuana sales has not led to an increase of total motorist fatalities, which are, in fact, in slight decline from last year.

From January through May 2013 there was an average of 32 fatal automobile accidents per month in Colorado. This year there has been an average of 29 per month (CO Dept. of Transportation, 2014).

While one study conducted out of Columbia University recently reported a tripling of marijuana caused motor fatalities from 1999 to 2010—the amount of fatal accidents in Colorado from 2013 and 2014 remains stagnant despite legalization.

Even after separating the highest grossing months of Colorado’s recreational cannabis sales—January, March and April—no correlation surfaces.

January, which brought over $14 million in sales and an onslaught of out-of-state traffic, only saw 26 motorist fatalities compared to 32 a year ago. All the more impressive when one considers the icy road conditions present during those first few momentous weeks.

March brought nearly twice as much money in recreational pot sales as January largely due to Spring Break travel, which specifically brings in the younger and less experienced crowds—both in driving and in consuming marijuana. Yet fatal accidents rates between the two years varied only by one.

And April, which brought thousands upon thousands (along with $22 million in recreational sales) for the largest “420” gathering in US history—purely dedicated to overindulging in cannabis—saw 28 fatal accidents compared to 30 from last year.