It’s wise to look at traffic accidents to determine their causes, but doing so can create some connections to changes in laws that you may not have thought would impact drivers. For example, did you know that over the course of two years, the number of drugged driving deaths rose while the number of drunk driving deaths actually fell?
It seems like as soon as one policy begins to work, another issue pops up that prevents accidents from decreasing much at all. According to national data, around 43 percent of the drivers who were killed in automobile crashes had drugs in their systems. Drugs are being found more frequently than alcohol today, which is a reason to be concerned.
In a report with 2013 fatality data, only around 40 percent of drivers who died in crashes had drugs in their systems. Looking at the above data from 2015, the 3 percent increase should be of concern to drivers and the authorities alike.
In good news, the number of drivers who died with alcohol in their systems dropped to 38 percent. Of course, another thing to consider is that the drug showing up most commonly is marijuana, which may stay in a person’s body long after its effects have worn off. Marijuana is always noted in reports thanks to changing laws surrounding its use, but there are yet to be any surefire ways to identify how much marijuana leads to intoxication that would make it dangerous to drive.
Drugged and drunk driving are both dangerous, and it’s clear that you shouldn’t do either. If you’re falsely accused of drugged driving, then you can protect yourself with the help of a strong defense.
Source: Forbes, “In Two Years, Drugged Driving Deaths Rose While Drunk Driving Deaths Fell,” Cheryl and Christopher Jensen, accessed Aug. 18, 2017
