A Growing Number of Fatal Car Crashes Linked to Drug-Impaired Drivers

According to a recent report, 22.3 percent of fatally injured motorists tested for drugs were positive for marijuana in 2016. This number represents a substantial increase over the past few years, at the same time as states have begun legalizing the drug for recreational or medicinal use, says the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA).

In their research, the GHSA report found that in 2016, 44% of fatally injured drivers with known results tested positive for drugs—up from 28% in 2006. More than half of those drivers had marijuana, opioids, or a combination of both, in their systems.

About the report’s findings

The GHSA report, funded by the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility (Responsibility.org), found that among fatally injured drivers who tested positive for drugs, 38% tested positive for marijuana, 16% tested positive for opioids, and 4% tested positive for both marijuana and opioids.

Driving drunk is still a significant danger on the road, but the presence of alcohol in fatally injured drivers is actually slightly lower than it was 10 years ago—a decrease from 41% in 2006 to 38% in 2016.

Some of the same strategies officials have been using to address drunk driving can also be used to deter drugged driving; however, drug-impaired driving presents some unique challenges. For example, there are no national guidelines for testing drugged driving, and the number of drugs to test for is impractical. Further, different drugs have different effects on different people.

The author of the report, former senior NHTSA official Dr. Jim Hedlund explained, “Drugs can impair, and drug-impaired drivers can crash. But it’s impossible to understand the full scope of the drugged driving problem because many drivers who are arrested or involved in crashes, even those who are killed, are not tested for drugs. Drivers who are drug-positive may not necessarily be impaired.”

These concerns are compounded by the frequency of multi-drug use or the use of several impairing drugs simultaneously. The study also found that 51% of drug-positive fatally injured drivers also tested positive for two or more drugs. Drugs and alcohol are also a deadly mix—49% of drivers killed in car accidents who test positive for alcohol also tested positive for drugs.

“Alcohol-impaired driving and drug-impaired driving can no longer be treated as separate issues,” said Ralph Blackman, President and CEO of Responsibility.org. “Drunk driving, which was involved in 28% of 2016 traffic fatalities, remains a critical issue; however, to curb impaired driving, we have to think about the combination of substances drivers are often putting into their systems at the same time.”

The report identifies opportunities for GHSA’s State Highway Safety Offices to help reduce marijuana and opioid impaired driving. These include:

• Monitoring the development of new impairment testing tools, like oral fluid devices and marijuana breath test instruments
• Increased law enforcement training, authorization of electronic search warrants for drug tests, and education of prosecutors and judges on the challenges of drugged driving cases
• Partnering with the pharmaceutical, marijuana, and public health industries to educate the public about the potential dangers of driving while under the influence of these drugs
• Developing public awareness campaigns to sway driver attitudes regarding driving under the influence of marijuana and opioids

“Too many people operate under the false belief that marijuana or opioids don’t impair their ability to drive, or even that these drugs make them safer drivers,” noted GHSA Executive Director Jonathan Adkins. “Busting this myth requires states to expand their impaired driving campaigns to include marijuana and opioids along with alcohol to show drivers that impairment is impairment, regardless of substance.”

The Chicago car accident attorneys at Gainsberg Injury and Accident Lawyers are ready to help if you’ve suffered injury in an accident with a drunk or drugged driver. We will work as your advocate and seek the compensation you’re entitled to for your injuries. Get in touch with us through our contact form, or by calling 312-600-9585 to schedule a consultation.