Most motorists are aware of the risks associated with drinking and driving, but some fail to recognize the same dangers can be present when driving under the influence of drugs or narcotics. In fact, the National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that an estimated 10.3 million Americans admitted to driving under the influence of illicit drugs during in 2012.
The dangers of this behavior were highlighted when a 19-year-old motorist was arrested on charges of vehicular homicide following a Tennessee car accident that occurred in March 2013 in Dyer County. Toxicology reports following the fatal accident showed the presence of drugs in the responsible motorist’s system following the crash.
These statistics have prompted officials to push for more public awareness of this epidemic. According to an article from News Channel 5, the acting director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, Michael Bottecelli, will be in Nashville on April 28 to speak at the nation’s largest highway safety conference. He will discuss the high number of drugged driving incidents reported, as well as how to raise public awareness.
The Nashville personal injury lawyers with Ponce Law explain citizens can do their part to prevent drugged driving by speaking with their doctors about the side effects that any medication they are taking could have. If a medication can affect one’s judgment, they should not drive while taking it. Parents should also talk to teen drivers about the risks involved with getting behind the wheel while under the influence of drugs.