Drug-impaired driving is an increasingly critical issue for states and state highway safety offices. In 2013, the most recent year for which data are available, NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) reported that drugs were present in 40% of the fatally-injured drivers with a known test result, almost the same level as alcohol. NHTSA’s 2013—2014 roadside survey found drugs in 22% of all drivers both on weekend nights and on weekday days. In particular, marijuana use is increasing. As of August 2015, marijuana may be used for medical purposes in 23 states and the District of Columbia. Recreational use is allowed in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia and 16 other states have decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana (NCSL, 2015b). Congress is considering HR 2598 which would require NHTSA to issue guidance on the best practices to prevent marijuana-impaired driving (http://1.usa.gov/1Cld6yr). Legislatures, law enforcement, and highway safety offices in many states are urged to “do something” about drug-impaired driving, but what to do is far from clear. This report summarizes the current state of knowledge on drugimpaired driving, including what little is known about the costs and effectiveness of these actions, and identifies actions states can take to reduce drug-impaired driving. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting