Alcohol has always been a concern on the road. Drinking and driving is no joke. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 28 people die every day due to drunk driving accidents in the United States. Aside from fatalities, driving under the influence resulted in over a million DUIs based on reports from the CDC in 2016.

Alcohol isn’t the only intoxicating substance that can get a driver pulled over for a DUI. Drug use is the cause of about 16 percent of accidents, and with the legalization of marijuana in Arizona, that number may be on the rise.

Drunk Driving

There are hundreds of statistics about drunk driving accidents and DUIs because it has been an ongoing issue for years and there are many advocacy groups that are committed to the issue.

The Zebra, an insurance comparison company, recently surveyed drunk drivers to gather drunk driving statistics for 2020 and 2021. They found some interesting trends in drunk driving, include some that are relevant to drunk driving injury accidents in Phoenix.

As of 2021, 17.3 percent of the surveyed group admitted to driving while buzzed. Between 2020 and 2021, people surveyed assumed Generation Y and Z were the most likely to drink and drive. Despite these perceptions, there are evidently a fair amount of people in almost all demographics who knowingly drive drunk at the risk of getting a DUI. The groups of people who drive drunk the most are 21- to 24-year-olds (Generation Z) at 27 percent, followed closely by 25- to 34-year-olds (Millennials) at 26 percent. Statistically their almost equal.

About four men get into drunk driving accidents for every one female driver who caused a drunk driving accident.

Some states may have a different laws that govern what constitutes drunk driving. Arizona, for example, has a no-tolerance policy. Just one sip of wine can get you a DUI. In all 50 states, however, it is illegal to drive with a blood-alcohol level over .08. 

Effects of Driving While Drunk

Driving while intoxicated can impair basic functions in many ways. Drunk drivers often suffer a loss of judgment, have less muscle control and experience a lower state of alertness, making drunk driving extremely dangerous. Still, people continue to drink and drive, resulting in an astonishing number of DUIs in Phoenix every year.

Drunk driving also has a profound effect on the freedoms of people who partake in the reckless behavior. Multiple DUIs can result in jail sentences, license suspensions, the installation of an ignition interlock device in your vehicle, high fines and make it difficult for you to find a job in the future.

Legalization of Marijuana

Alcohol intoxication is not the only cause of DUIs. Narcotics found in your system, including marijuana, can result in a DUI. Marijuana is now legal in many states, including Arizona, but driving under the influence of it is not. Driving impaired with weed in your system is against the law in every state, whether you smoked legally or not. 

While some people swear by the benefits of marijuana and believe it is less damaging or dangerous than alcohol, it can still cause significant impairment. THC from the cannabis can decrease body function and movement and delay thought processing. 

Should Driving While High Be Illegal?

According to a study by PSB and Buzzfeed, nearly half of cannabis users believe it is safe to drive while high. A 2017 study by the American Public Health Association found that fatal collisions have not risen in states where weed has been legalized. 

Many states, like Colorado, California and Arizona, have legalized recreational and medical marijuana. This has led to an increased concern about the rise of DUIs. Whether marijuana accidents will begin outpacing drunk driving accidents is hard to say. More people are beginning to be pulled over with both alcohol and drugs in their system. If anything, the trend will likely lead to a higher percentage of injury accidents where the driver is both drunk and high.

Some states are also adding DUI laws that apply specifically to the use of weed, but they are per se laws. If you were driving with THC in your system and got pulled over, you might be charged with driving while high. A per se marijuana DUI conviction is based just on the THC in the driver's system – it doesn’t matter if there’s no other evidence of driving while high. Unfortunately, since THC can stay in a person’s system for months after ingestion, it is possible you could be charged even if you weren’t high at the time of the stop.

Will There Be More Car Crashes in Phoenix Now That Weed Is Legal?

No one can say for sure whether the legalization of marijuana will lead to higher rates of DUI auto accident injuries. It will require years of data to prove for sure how marijuana effects the rate of auto accident injuries and deaths in the United States.

If you have been injured in an accident caused by a driver who was drunk or high, it may be in your best interest to speak with a car accident attorney or personal injury lawyer in Phoenix. An experienced DUI accident lawyer can help you understand the potential damages available in your case and your chances of success.

Contact one of our partner Phoenix personal injury lawyers get a free, no-obligation consultation.