I’ve spoken out over and over against legalized marijuana. The reasons are clear: increased use among teens, the increased potency of pot compared to the 70s and 80s, the link of overuse to mental illness, etc.

And here’s another reason. NBC News reports that “legalized marijuana [is] linked to a sharp rise in car crashes.” According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, car crashes are up 6 percent in four states that have legalized weed: Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Nevada.

Of course, correlation is not causation, but an IIHC spokesman told NBC, “We’re seeing a trend in the wrong direction.”

Even more alarming, while drunk drivers tend to drive alone, 14 percent of those “confirmed to be using pot” had a child in the car at the time.

As more states consider this very bad idea, speak up. Tell politicians that legalizing marijuana is a bad idea, with real life and death consequences. Give them the facts. Come to BreakPoint.org and I’ll link you to some resources.

Download mp3 audio here.