A stunning new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) has found that impaired drivers are now more likely to be under the influence of drugs rather than alcohol.
In this issue, we’ll talk about what’s going on.
Drugged Driving Outnumbers Drunk Driving
The GHSA partnered with the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility for the report, which is an update to a previous one conducted in 2015.
That earlier report found that 40% of drivers who lost their lives in auto crashes had drugs in their system. At the time, numbers for drugged driving and drunk driving were roughly the same.
In the new report, drugged driving jumped to 43% while the number of drivers with alcohol in their system dipped to 38%..
Marijuana The Drug Of Choice
According to the data, marijuana is the drug that shows up the most in impaired drivers’ systems. Among the fatally injured drivers analyzed for the study, 37% tested positive for marijuana while 9% tested positive for amphetamines.
Heavy use of pot can double a driver’s risk of an auto crash resulting in injury or death.
Drugged Driver More Complicated
Identifying drivers under the influence of drugs is more challenging than spotting those driving drunk.
In an interview with Forbes magazine, study author Dr. Jim Hedlund spoke of the perils of drugged driving.
“Alcohol is alcohol but drugs are all sorts of different drugs, several hundred of them,” he said. “The signs and symptoms of how these drugs affect your body are very different. (While the) signs and symptoms are pretty consistent (for drunk driving), they are very different for different drugs.”
If You’ve Been Injured By An Impaired Driver, Call Barber & Associates
Our roads are dangerous enough without drivers who have been drinking or taking drugs. If you’ve been hurt by an impaired driver, we want to talk with you about your options.
Get in touch with us here at Barber & Associates.
The first meeting is always free, so call us at 907-276-5858 or send an email.