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Spike in crashes since pot legalized could lead to higher insurance costs

There's been a spike in crashes since the legalization of marijuana in Washington State and experts say that could lead to higher insurance premiums for drivers.

The new study from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety looked at collision data for the first three states to legalize marijuana – Colorado, Washington and Oregon compared to other western states.

Since 2013, there's been an increase in the number of insurance claims from accidents on the road in those states.

The numbers vary by state, but in Washington, there’s been a six percent increase compared to other western states.  In Oregon, that number is 4.5 percent, and in Colorado there’s been a 14 percent increase.

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You may remember, in 2013, KIRO 7 held an experiment--with assistance from the State Patrol--to see how the ability of drivers was affected after smoking marijuana.

Basically, it impacted drivers differently, but the takeaway was predictable: The more marijuana they smoked, the worse their driving became.

The numbers are a little hazy though, because there are other possible factors in an increase in crashes.

In 2013, there was in increase in drivers using cellphones and driving distracted.

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