• 11
  • August
    2011

According to a study conducted at Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation and published in the July 2011 issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, one in four drivers who perished in auto accidents in the U.S. from 1998-2009 tested positive for illegal drugs.

The study examined data from auto accidents in the 20 states that test drivers involved in accidents for drugs, giving the researches data from 44,000 accidents. A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study revealed that 14 percent of drivers randomly stopped by police tested positive for drugs, meaning that the presence of drugs in the systems of drivers involved in fatal accidents was twice as high as in the general population of drivers.

Another survey supports the theory that people driving under the influence of drugs is a common practice. Of the respondents to the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 10.5 million people admitted to driving under the influence of illegal drugs the year before the survey, a figure similar to the one in the 2008 NSDUH. The rate was highest among respondents aged 18-25.

It is not surprising that many who drive while using drugs are involved in auto accidents. The dangers of driving under the influence of drugs are similar to those of driving while intoxicated: reaction times slow, judgment clouds and motor skills worsen. Drugs can also alter the user's perception and cognition. Additionally, drugged drivers pose a significant safety risk to other drivers on the road.

Traffic fatalities are not the only risk that drivers under the influence of drugs run. Many states have laws that allow police to arrest drivers whom they suspect of driving under the influence of any intoxicant - not just alcohol. New York state laws allow police to arrest for "DWAI: Drugs," which means that the driver was driving while ability impaired by a substance other than alcohol. Penalties for a first offense DWAI/Drugs include:

  • A fine between $500 and $1,000
  • A possible jail sentence of up to one year
  • A minimum six month license revocation

Authorities take driving under the influence of drugs very seriously and prosecute such cases vigorously. With more and more people being killed because of drugged driving, motorists can expect that law enforcement will begin to aggressively target those who are driving while impaired.