A University of Montreal study recently published in the scientific journal “Accident Analysis & Prevention” showed that marijuana smoking could be the culprit of many car accidents on the road today. Psychology professor Jacques Bergeron, who is the senior author of the study, was quoted saying: “We observed that dangerous driving behaviors are interrelated. Individuals scoring high on impulsivity or sensation-seeking scales demonstrated an elevated risk of driving under the influence of cannabis.”

The study surveyed 83 men, between the ages of 17 and 49, and consisted of an inquiry of their driving records along with data collected from driving simulators. According to Canadian researchers, men were chosen for the study, instead of women, on the basis that men are more likely to have histories of reckless driving and behaviors of driving while under the influence of marijuana.

The study was one of the first of its kind and yielded results, which showed that: 35% of all participants had been in at least one car accident the last three years; 30% admitted to using marijuana, and of those, 80% said that they had driven at least once the previous year while under the influence of marijuana.

In a news release, another of the study’s authors, Isabelle Richer, said: “Our study found that men with self-reported DUIC (driving under the influence of cannabis) tend to be associated with an increased risk of being involved in a car accident.”