Study says pedestrian deaths on the rise in states with legal pot

The number of people being hit and killed by cars is on the rise in states with legal marijuana.

That's according to a study performed by the Governor's Highway Safety Association.

It said for the second straight year, nearly 6,000 pedestrians were killed in the U.S.

States that legalized recreational marijuana between 2012 and 2016 had a collective 16.4 percent increase in pedestrian fatalities in the first six months of last year, as compared to the same time period in 2016.

All other states experienced a 5.8 percent decrease.

The study said the numbers from last year could be linked to such factors including texting while walking, using phones while driving and walking or driving while high on pot.

Researchers are not making a definitive link between pedestrian deaths and legal marijuana, but say it should be a source of concern.

In November 2016, Seattle city officials lowered speed limits on arterials from 30 to 25 mph as part of its Vision Zero safety plan launched in 2015, a plan to end traffic deaths and serious injuries on city streets by 2030.

According to the city, pedestrians hit by vehicles going 25 mph are half as likely to die as those hit at 30 mph.

Cox Media Group