Since Colorado voters legalized pot in 2012, prohibition supporters have warned that recreational marijuana will lead to a scourge of “drugged divers” on the state's roads, says the Washington Post. They often point out that when the state legalized medical marijuana in 2001, there was a surge in drivers found to have smoked pot. They also cite studies showing that in other states that have legalized pot for medical purposes, there has been an increase in the number of drivers testing positive for the drug who were involved in fatal car accidents.
Colorado roadway fatalities this year are down from last year, and down from the 13-year average. Of the seven months so far this year, five months saw a lower fatality figure this year than last, two months saw a slightly higher figure this year, and in one month the two figures were equal. The continuing drop in fatalities, in Colorado and elsewhere, is due to a variety of factors, such as better-built cars and trucks, improved safety features and better road engineering. It's also possible that if it weren't for legal pot, the 2014 figures would be even lower. If fatalities were up this year, prohibition supporters would be blaming it on legal marijuana.