Is cannabis responsible for 500 road deaths?

Published

5 years ago

April 26, 2021 - Updated on October 13, 2022

In an interview with the JDD this Sunday, Gérald Darmanin stated that the Cannabis is responsible for 500 traffic deaths. Is that true?

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Official figures

2020 saw a sharp decline in the number of traffic accidents due to the various lockdowns. 2019 will therefore serve as the baseline year.

According to official figures According to the Road Safety Agency, 3,244 people died on the roads of mainland France in 2019 (3,498 including the overseas territories).

That year, at least 494 people were killed in a drug-related accident and account for 23% of the fatalities in fatal accidents for which test results are known, and 15% of all fatal accidents.

Of the 453 drivers who tested positive for drugs and were involved in a fatal accident in 2019, Half (228) also have an alcohol content of more than 0.5 g/L. The proportion of fatal accidents that could be prevented if no drivers tested positive for cannabis is estimated at 4%, or 130 of the 3,244 people who died in mainland France in 2019.

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An analysis of fatal accidents in 2011 where information on drug use was available showed that of the 121 drug users who tested positive for drugs, 801 tested positive for cannabis.

While Gérald Darmanin may have conflated all narcotics with cannabis alone, the fact remains that Cannabis alone could not have killed 500 people on the roads in 2019, let alone in 2020.

Alcohol, the leading cause of fatal accidents in France

In 321 out of every 1,000 fatal accidents in France where the blood alcohol level is known, the driver is under the influence of alcohol. This proportion has remained stable since 2000 and rises to 50 out of every 1,000 at night. Drunk driving affects all age groups, particularly people aged 18 to 44.

Factors Contributing to Traffic Accidents in 2019

The risks of driving under the influence of alcohol or cannabis are also quite different. According to a French study, a driver who tests positive for cannabis is 1.65 times more likely to cause a fatal accident. The proportion of people driving under the influence of alcohol is estimated at 2.11%, and under the influence of cannabis at 3.41% Drunk drivers are 17.8 times more likely to cause a fatal traffic accident, and the proportion of accidents that could be prevented if drivers had not exceeded the legal alcohol limit is estimated at 27.71 TP3T.

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Related Topics:Cannabis and driving Cannabis in France

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Aurélien BERNARD

Aurélien founded Newsweed in 2015. Particularly interested in international regulations and the various cannabis markets, he also has an extensive knowledge of the plant and its uses.

osirion

28 April 2021 at 2:34 p.m.

This manipulation of the figures has been going on since the UMP was in power, with the number of cannabis users (5 million) remaining unchanged for nearly thirty years.
There are at least three studies (two American and one Canadian) that prove the opposite!
This represents a 25% decrease in traffic accidents following legalization, with traffic fatalities primarily attributable to alcohol and antipsychotic medications.
The French approach consists of forcing drivers to abstain from using cannabis by threatening legal action and revoking their right to drive. This is also the choice of many smokers who avoid the repressive scam of the driver’s license and the high cost of owning a vehicle in France. Put simply, people prefer to avoid driving in a country that treats cannabis users as reckless drivers or criminals, because the roads are safer and greener beyond our borders…

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