Conservative estimates show that 20% of crashes in the U.S. are caused by drugged driving. Drugged Driving is a national epidemic.  It is time to change that dynamic.

 

27 – Teen Drugged Driving: A Rising Concern

Drugged Driving is a global problem where more and more people are using some type of drug, whether it is over-the-counter, prescribed, or illicit, and then trying to drive.

To discuss drugged driving and more specifically teen drugged driving, RADD and ONDCP co-hosted the nation’s first comprehensive public forum on teen drugged driving. The summit brought together government leaders, scientific experts and community leaders for an in-depth discussion on the latest research and strategies to protect young drivers.

While present at this ground-braking summit, I spoke with a number of the speakers and dignitaries and got their viewpoints on drugged driving and its impact on today’s teens. This episode is a compilation of their comments and an examination of the teen drugged driving issue. Read More and Listen to the Episode> >>

13—Driving and Marijuana—A Dangerous Combination

For years individuals and organizations everywhere have talked about, and continue to work on combating, the dangers of alcohol-impaired driving. As a result, there has been a significant reduction in alcohol-impaired fatalities. However, impaired driving due to drugs other than alcohol, sometimes called “Drugged Driving,” is a growing concern across the United States and beyond. One of the most common drugs found in substance-impaired driving fatalities is marijuana.

Mr. Chris Halsor is the Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor (TSRP) in Colorado, where marijuana was first approved by state residents for medicinal use, and more recently for legal recreational use. With the changes in the law, Mr. Halsor has seen a troubling increase in drugged driving cases involving marijuana. Read More and Listen to the Episode> >>

 

04 – Drugged Driving: What is it and What Can We Do About It? A Conversation With Dr. Robert DuPont

Dr. Robert DuPont, President of the Institute for Behavior and Health, provides a comprehensive perspective on preventing drugged driving.  As the first Director for the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the second White House Drug Chief, Dr. DuPont has been a leader in drug abuse prevention for decades.  In this episode Dr. DuPont and I talk about drugged driving and the steps that can be taken to reduce its pervasiveness.

The latest research demonstrates drugged driving is pervasive and widespread.  A 2007 national survey to determine the extent of drugs present found that of those drivers tested, 16% were positive for drugs, with 11% of the 16% testing positive for illegal drugs, 4% testing positive for medication and 1% with both illegal and medication.  In another national study, of the drivers killed in 2009 in motor vehicle crashes with known drug-test results, one-third tested positive for drugs.

According to Dr. DuPont and others, including the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), drugged driving is at an epidemic status. Steps must be taken now to improve safety on our roads. For many years, the focus has been on alcohol-impaired driving, but it is no longer just about alcohol or just about other drugs.  It is not either/or, it is both.  We must look at the broader issue of “substance-impaired driving.”  Read More and Listen to the Episode> >>