Pubdate: Fri, 28 Oct 2016
Source: USA Today (US)
Copyright: 2016 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/625HdBMl
Website: http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/index.htm
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/466
Author: Nathan Bomey

SPATE OF DRUGGED DRIVING DEATHS ALARMS U.S. REGULATORS

The percentage of traffic deaths in which at least one driver tested
positive for drugs has nearly doubled over a decade, raising alarms as
five states are set to vote on legalization of marijuana.

Amid a disquieting increase in overall U.S. traffic fatalities, the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has tracked an upswing
in the percentage of drivers testing positive for illegal drugs and
prescription medications, according to federal data released to USA
TODAY and interviews with leaders in the field.

The increase corresponds with a movement to legalize marijuana,
troubling experts who readily acknowledge that the effects of pot use
on drivers remain poorly understood. Recreational marijuana use is now
legal in Colorado, Washington state, Oregon, Alaska and the District
of Columbia, even as it remains outlawed on a federal level. Five
states - Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada - are
set to vote on legalization.
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MAP posted-by: Matt