National survey data showed marijuana-impaired driving increased from 4.5% to 5.3% of drivers between 2016 and 2019, even as alcohol-impaired driving declined slightly.
Policymakers, public safety officials, and anyone interested in impaired driving trends
5.3% of US drivers reported driving under the influence of marijuana in 2019
What the researchers found
In 2019, 5.3% of US drivers reported driving under the influence of marijuana in the past year, up from 4.5% in 2016. Meanwhile, alcohol-impaired driving decreased slightly. Among drivers who did not always wear seatbelts, alcohol-impaired driving decreased while marijuana-impaired driving increased.
Why it matters
This CDC report provides national-level trend data showing marijuana-impaired driving is growing, particularly as more states legalize cannabis. Unlike alcohol-impaired driving, there are no established evidence-based prevention strategies for marijuana-impaired driving.
The numbers in context
2019 prevalence: DUIA 8.3%, DUIM 5.3%, DUID 0.9%. DUIM was highest among males (7.0%), non-heterosexual drivers (14.7%), drivers aged 21-25, and those who did not always wear seatbelts (11.5%). DUIM increased from 4.5% to 5.3% from 2016 to 2019.
How the study worked
Analysis of 2016-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) public-use data, limited to drivers aged 16 and older. Prevalence estimates were calculated overall and by sociodemographic characteristics, with trend analysis across the four-year period.
What this study cannot tell us
Self-reported data likely underestimates actual impaired driving prevalence. The survey ended in 2019, before the pandemic and additional state legalizations. NSDUH does not include institutionalized populations or people experiencing homelessness.
How to read the evidence
Large nationally representative survey with multi-year trend data from a US federal agency.
When this study was published
2024 publication using 2016-2019 data
The bigger picture
While the US has decades of research and proven interventions for alcohol-impaired driving, marijuana-impaired driving is a growing challenge without equivalent solutions. The diverging trends (alcohol down, marijuana up) suggest a shifting risk landscape on American roads.
Questions still open
- How has marijuana-impaired driving changed since 2019, with additional states legalizing? What prevention strategies are most effective for reducing DUIM? Does the seatbelt finding suggest a general risk-taking profile among DUIM drivers?
Common questions
Is marijuana-impaired driving increasing in the US?
How common is marijuana-impaired driving compared to alcohol?
Read the original research
Special Report from the CDC: Driving under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, or other illicit drugs among drivers aged ≥16 years - National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2016-2019.
Journal of safety research, 91, 505-515
Citation
Schumacher, Amy C; De Crescenzo, Lauren A; Yellman, Merissa A; Sauber-Schatz, Erin K. (2024). Special Report from the CDC: Driving under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, or other illicit drugs among drivers aged ≥16 years - National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2016-2019.. Journal of safety research, 91, 505-515. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2024.09.017