A new study indicates that drugged driving is even more dangerous than drunk driving. Based on the data revealed in a new report, most drivers who got killed in car crashes were more likely to be drugged than drunk. On April 26, the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility and the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) published a new study.
- Drugged driving and drunk driving are both extremely dangerous, causing victims every day.
- A report shows that 43% of all drivers involved in car crashes tested positive for drugs.
- The research also showed that 37% of them tested positive for alcohol abuse.
The research indicated that 43% of drivers who died in fatal accidents tested positive for illegal drugs, while 37% of them showed to have higher alcohol levels in their blood than the legal limit. These two organizations pointed out that recently many concerns related to drunk driving escalated to drugged driving. This occurs because many states had recently legalized cannabis and many other people became opioid addicts.
Ralph S. Blackman, the CEO, and president of the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility claimed that the number of drivers who drug themselves and drive has significantly increased while many drivers nowadays tend to combine more harmful substances, having a major impact on their driving skills. The report noted that 36.5% of all 43% drivers who tested positive were drugs had consumed marijuana, while 9.3% out of 43% consumed amphetamines.
Scientists used the most recent information from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. The report also highlights the fact that many law enforcement officers are not properly trained to differentiate drunk drivers from drugged drivers. The police motivate that it is a pretty tough job, being hard to figure out who is drugged and who is drunk.
Law enforcement officers only have the Breathalyzer which could help them detect drunk drivers. But, otherwise, they have no other means which could help them tell apart drunk drivers from drugged drivers. Jonathan Adkins, the executive director of GHSA, stated that many states across the US are trying to annihilate drug-impaired driving and it is crucial for them to know the current landscape, trying to develop the most suitable and effective measures against this practice.
For every state, the results vary in how many drivers were tested, which tests were used and how the test results were reported. Moreover, these records only account for the presence of drugs, not their concentration which can be compared to the levels of alcohol identified in blood samples. Both drunk driving and drugged driving are dangerous, jeopardizing the life of drivers and their passengers.
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