Even as drunk driving accidents decline, drug-impaired driving is becoming more common
According to the latest numbers form the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, drunk driving fatalities are on the decline, having decreased 27 percent since 2005. However, overall traffic fatalities rates have remained pretty much flat. Experts suspect that one possible reason for this could be that drugged driving accidents are on the rise.
Drugged Driving vs Drunk Driving
According to the results of a roadside survey conducted by the NHTSA, drivers are more likely to have drugs in their system than alcohol.
Only about 1 percent of drivers stopped on a weekday during daylight hours had any alcohol in their systems, and only 0.4 percent of them were actually over the legal limit for alcohol. During this same time period, about 22 percent of drivers had drugs in their system. Of these drivers, about half were only using legal drugs or medications and half were using illegal narcotics.
Weekend nighttime stops showed an increase in alcohol use, but little change in drug use. About 8 percent of drivers had alcohol in their systems, but only 1.5 percent of them actually qualified as drunk drivers under the law. The survey still found that about 22 percent of drivers were using drugs. However, drug use was now skewed towards illegal narcotics, as you might expect for weekend nights. About 15 percent of drivers had illegal drugs in their systems, while only 7 percent had medications.
Drugged Driving Enforcement Challenges
Reducing drugged driving presents some special challenges compared to drunk driving, especially when it comes to tackling use of legal drugs or medications. While the risks of drunk driving are well known, many drivers simply do not understand that their medications—including medical marijuana—can impair their driving.
Additionally, drug testing is more complicated than BAC testing. With no official legal limit for the amount of drugs that a driver may legally have in their system, the door is open for drivers to claim that their driving abilities were not actually impaired by their drug use.
This question of when drugs actually impair driving can affect personal injury cases as well as criminal cases stemming from car accidents. If you have been injured in a car accident involving another driver who tested positive for drugs, it is essential to have an experienced auto accident injury attorney on your side. Fernando D. Vargas makes an excellent choice. For a free initial consultation, please call 909-982-0707.
