Citation

Status Report 2017; 52(4).

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017)

DOI

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PMID

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Abstract

This brief article reminds readers that, in regards to impaired driving, alcohol is still the biggest problem. Thirty percent of the fatal crashes in the U.S. feature drivers who have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or higher. A recent study from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) found that drugs were present in 43% of the fatally-injured drivers with known test results, "appearing more frequently than alcohol." However, this report was sponsored by a group funded by distillers, and included prescription drugs in the analyses. One section quotes the president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Adrian Lund, as cautioning not to draw a causative line from the increased prevalence of reported marijuana use to the recent rise in fatal crashes in the U.S., which he contends is largely due to an improved economy (the link to a related article is provided). Readers are also referred to a pdf file for the full report from the Governors Highway Safety Association entitled "Drug Impaired Driving: A Guide for States."

Keywords

Drugged drivers; Drunk driving; Fatalities; Driver performance; Crash causes; Impaired drivers