The National Safety Commission Alerts
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Wednesday, December 01, 2010
One Third Of Drivers Killed In Collisions Had Drugs In Their System
A new study released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveals that evidence of drug use in drivers has increased over the past five years. The study evaluated coroner reports on drivers who were fatally injured in car crashes in 2009 and compared the data to reports from previous years.
In 2009, 63% of drivers who were killed in crashes were tested for the presence of drugs in their system and in 8% of the cases the test results were ambiguous or unknown. That left 3,952 drivers or 33% with positive test results for drugs in their system. The results show that the number of drivers with positive test results for drugs has risen steadily from 28% in 2005 to 33% in 2009.
NHTSA was careful to point out that the evidence of drug use did not indicate whether or not the driver was impaired nor did it imply that the drug use caused the crash, only that drugs were present in the driver’s system.
The study looked for specific drug types including: "nar¬cotics, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, cannabinoids, phencyclidines (PCP), anabolic steroids, and inhalants." Alcohol and any drugs administered by medical personnel, prior to the driver's death, were not included in the study.
This study adds data to another NHTSA sponsored study conducted in 2007 in which drivers were stopped at random and asked to voluntarily provide blood and fluid samples. The results of that study showed that:
The 2007 survey also showed that, among those who showed evidence of illegal drugs in their system, there was also a higher incidence of alcohol use combined with those drugs.
Not all of the drugs tested are illegal. Stimulants and depressants are often prescribed by doctors for sleep disorders and psychological problems while steroids are prescribed for a variety of conditions. Narcotics are prescribed for chronic pain. The problems lie in the fact that drivers are often unaware that prescription and some over-the-counter, medications, primarily cold and allergy remedies, can impact their driving abilities.
Driver Education: Driving with a Cold or Flu
Some studies have also show that the prevalence of prescription marijuana laws in some states are leading many young people to believe that marijuana is a harmless drug and has little impact on their driving abilities when in fact, marijuana, just like alcohol, gives the user a false sense that their ability to drive or perform other complex tasks is greater than it actually is. Steroids and stimulants can make a driver nervous, edgy, and quick to anger which can lead to bad decisions and risky driving behavior.
States are having a hard time dealing with this issue and, in many cases, there are no specific laws to deal with a driver whose driving abilities may have been impaired by a legal prescription or over-the-counter medication. So, it is left up to the driver to ask their doctor or pharmacist what type of side effects a particular medication may have and how that medication may impact their driving abilities. Drivers who have a new medication prescribed to them should refrain from driving until they know exactly how that drug will affect them.
In 2009, 63% of drivers who were killed in crashes were tested for the presence of drugs in their system and in 8% of the cases the test results were ambiguous or unknown. That left 3,952 drivers or 33% with positive test results for drugs in their system. The results show that the number of drivers with positive test results for drugs has risen steadily from 28% in 2005 to 33% in 2009.
NHTSA was careful to point out that the evidence of drug use did not indicate whether or not the driver was impaired nor did it imply that the drug use caused the crash, only that drugs were present in the driver’s system.
The study looked for specific drug types including: "nar¬cotics, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, cannabinoids, phencyclidines (PCP), anabolic steroids, and inhalants." Alcohol and any drugs administered by medical personnel, prior to the driver's death, were not included in the study.
This study adds data to another NHTSA sponsored study conducted in 2007 in which drivers were stopped at random and asked to voluntarily provide blood and fluid samples. The results of that study showed that:
- 11% of daytime drivers were driving with some sort of drug in their system.
- 14.4% of night-time drivers were driving with some sort of drug in their system.
The 2007 survey also showed that, among those who showed evidence of illegal drugs in their system, there was also a higher incidence of alcohol use combined with those drugs.
Not all of the drugs tested are illegal. Stimulants and depressants are often prescribed by doctors for sleep disorders and psychological problems while steroids are prescribed for a variety of conditions. Narcotics are prescribed for chronic pain. The problems lie in the fact that drivers are often unaware that prescription and some over-the-counter, medications, primarily cold and allergy remedies, can impact their driving abilities.
Driver Education: Driving with a Cold or Flu
Some studies have also show that the prevalence of prescription marijuana laws in some states are leading many young people to believe that marijuana is a harmless drug and has little impact on their driving abilities when in fact, marijuana, just like alcohol, gives the user a false sense that their ability to drive or perform other complex tasks is greater than it actually is. Steroids and stimulants can make a driver nervous, edgy, and quick to anger which can lead to bad decisions and risky driving behavior.
States are having a hard time dealing with this issue and, in many cases, there are no specific laws to deal with a driver whose driving abilities may have been impaired by a legal prescription or over-the-counter medication. So, it is left up to the driver to ask their doctor or pharmacist what type of side effects a particular medication may have and how that medication may impact their driving abilities. Drivers who have a new medication prescribed to them should refrain from driving until they know exactly how that drug will affect them.
Labels: alert drivers, buzzed driving, over-the-counter medications, prescription drugs, prescription medication
Monday, October 18, 2010
Drugged Driving Can Also Lead to Danger Zones
There is overwhelming evidence that Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Speeding, Talking & Texting on a Cellular Device are extremely hazardous driving behaviors that can cause many danger zones in our roads, streets, and highways. You hear it on the newscasts, read it in the paper, see it online, in public service announcements and billboards. However, there is another extremely dangerous one that might be overlooked at times by society, and that would be "Drugged Driving".
As with the other dangerous driving behaviors, "Drugged Driving" is also very prevalent; even though sometimes it takes a "back seat" by the public to other dangerous driving acts. A nationally representative survey by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that in 2007, 16 percent of weekend nighttime drivers (roughly 1 in 6) tested positive for licit or illicit drugs. Moreover, approximately 1 in ten high school seniors responding to the 2008 Monitoring The Future Study reported driving after smoking marijuana within two weeks prior to the study interview. This is just a microcosm of the data that highlights the scope of the issue and reinforce the importance of reducing all Drug use. So why is drugged driving so dangerous? Remember that drugs acting on the brain can alter perception, cognition, attention, balance, coordination, reaction time, and other faculties required for safe driving. The effects of specific drugs of abuse differ depending on their mechanisms of action, the amount consumed, the history of the user, and other factors.
The following are some proven facts on what you should know to aid you in making the decision to "say no" to drugged driving. The most commonly used illicit drug is Marijuana. THC the chemical in marijuana affects areas of the brain that control the body's movements, balance, coordination, memory, and judgment, as well as sensations. Evidence from both real and simulated driving studies indicates that marijuana can negatively affect a driver’s attentiveness, perception of time and speed, and ability to draw on information obtained from past experiences.
Illicit stimulants (e.g. cocaine, methamphetamine) cause increased heart rate and blood pressure, loss of coordination, restlessness, panic & paranoia, and severe aggression. These drugs have been shown to cause drivers to drive at high speeds, apply brakes abruptly when there is no apparent reason to do so (emergency stopping for no valid reason), impairs driver coordination, and other severe risk factors which increase the chances of motor vehicle crashes to occur.
What about licit or "legal" drugs? Wouldn't it be alright to drive under their influence? The answer is no. The prescription here is to steer the other way when it comes to driving when they are taken; in other words "don't do it". Prescription drugs act on systems in the brain that could impair driving ability. In fact, many prescription drugs come with warnings against the operation of machinery— including motor vehicles—for a specified period of time after use. When abuse of prescription drugs occurs through use without medical supervision, impaired driving and other harmful reactions can also result.
The remedy to reduce the danger zones in our streets, roads, and highways is to operate motor vehicles safely by avoiding drugged driving and other risk-taking driving behaviors. Through safe driving collaborative efforts by the primary stakeholders in reducing crashes, the driving population, we can merge on to the "danger-free" zone.
Read more about the Danger of Driving on Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drugs.
As with the other dangerous driving behaviors, "Drugged Driving" is also very prevalent; even though sometimes it takes a "back seat" by the public to other dangerous driving acts. A nationally representative survey by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that in 2007, 16 percent of weekend nighttime drivers (roughly 1 in 6) tested positive for licit or illicit drugs. Moreover, approximately 1 in ten high school seniors responding to the 2008 Monitoring The Future Study reported driving after smoking marijuana within two weeks prior to the study interview. This is just a microcosm of the data that highlights the scope of the issue and reinforce the importance of reducing all Drug use. So why is drugged driving so dangerous? Remember that drugs acting on the brain can alter perception, cognition, attention, balance, coordination, reaction time, and other faculties required for safe driving. The effects of specific drugs of abuse differ depending on their mechanisms of action, the amount consumed, the history of the user, and other factors.
The following are some proven facts on what you should know to aid you in making the decision to "say no" to drugged driving. The most commonly used illicit drug is Marijuana. THC the chemical in marijuana affects areas of the brain that control the body's movements, balance, coordination, memory, and judgment, as well as sensations. Evidence from both real and simulated driving studies indicates that marijuana can negatively affect a driver’s attentiveness, perception of time and speed, and ability to draw on information obtained from past experiences.
Illicit stimulants (e.g. cocaine, methamphetamine) cause increased heart rate and blood pressure, loss of coordination, restlessness, panic & paranoia, and severe aggression. These drugs have been shown to cause drivers to drive at high speeds, apply brakes abruptly when there is no apparent reason to do so (emergency stopping for no valid reason), impairs driver coordination, and other severe risk factors which increase the chances of motor vehicle crashes to occur.
What about licit or "legal" drugs? Wouldn't it be alright to drive under their influence? The answer is no. The prescription here is to steer the other way when it comes to driving when they are taken; in other words "don't do it". Prescription drugs act on systems in the brain that could impair driving ability. In fact, many prescription drugs come with warnings against the operation of machinery— including motor vehicles—for a specified period of time after use. When abuse of prescription drugs occurs through use without medical supervision, impaired driving and other harmful reactions can also result.
The remedy to reduce the danger zones in our streets, roads, and highways is to operate motor vehicles safely by avoiding drugged driving and other risk-taking driving behaviors. Through safe driving collaborative efforts by the primary stakeholders in reducing crashes, the driving population, we can merge on to the "danger-free" zone.
Read more about the Danger of Driving on Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drugs.
Labels: driving behaviors, drugged driving, hazardous driving behaviors, Illicit stimulants, marijuana, prescription drugs, safe driving
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