More Drivers now Stoned than Drunk Behind the Wheel

 

 
More drivers are now stoned than drunk when behind the wheel. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) latest Roadside Survey of Alcohol and Drug Use by Drivers, as reported by Forbes, the number of drivers with alcohol in their system has gone down by a third since 2007, while one in four drivers now tests positive for a drug that could affect their driving performance.

This dramatic shift can easily be attributed to a number of factors. Years of drunk driving education and strict laws have helped to reduce the number of drivers with alcohol in their system. On the other hand, there has been far less awareness surrounding the use of other drugs before driving, and with marijuana being legalized in many states, the number of drivers using the drug has increased by 50 percent.

Quoted in the article, NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said “America made drunk driving a national issue and while there is no victory as long as a single American dies in an alcohol-related crash, a one-third reduction in alcohol use over just seven years shows how a focused effort and cooperation among the federal government, states and communities, law enforcement, safety advocates and industry can make an enormous difference. At the same time, the latest survey raises significant questions about drug use and highway safety.”

The results of this survey are certainly bittersweet. While it is comforting to see drunk driving numbers declining, how concerned should the public be of the rise of a whole new wave of intoxicated driving? Surely this only acts as further confirmation that new action must be taken to curb the potential rise and rise of drug use behind the wheel.

To find out more about the survey, and read more about it, head over to Forbes.
 
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