Correlation is not causation. For years, the surprising statistics were that marijuana users were far less likely to be involved in vehicle accidents.
It was attributed to the physiological effects of the drug, which led marijuana users to drive slower and more carefully. Almost exclusively, when a marijuana impaired driver was in an accident, they had also been drinking alcohol.
This current study just shows that they had marijuana in their system, which can be there as much as two weeks after use, though after a few hours it no longer intoxicates.
In the study itself, the “tripling” is that of causative effects, in that in 1999, a mere 4% of accidents cited that marijuana was a causative factor, which has now risen to 12%.
This means about 1 in 8. So what were the causative factors in the other 7 in 8?
Usually too stoned to get off the couch.
See # 6.
McMuffins.
“Correlation is not causation.” That’s right. As the old saying goes, Drunk Drivers Kill People; High People Just Miss Their Exits. These so called “Studies” can be easily manipulated to obtain the desired results. This particular study doesn’t ring true. Personally,I would be more concerned with the millions of people loaded up on legal psychotropic medications than a person who has used marijuana.
>> Correlation is not causation.
It’s time to retire this cute, meaningless expression.
Anything that impairs perception, responsiveness, and control is likely a contributing factor to car crashes.
Nervous, weary drivers are just as dangerous as reckless drivers.
“Almost exclusively, when a marijuana impaired driver was in an accident, they had also been drinking alcohol.”
Yep, there’s “Lies, damned lies, and statistics”...that old Mark Twain saw certainly applies to this “study”.