| Intoxicating driving can be defined as | | | | deaths. |
| driving when a drug "renders the driver | | | | |
| incapable of driving safely" or "causes the | | | | • For every 31 minutes someone is |
| driver to be impaired". The effects of | | | | killed with alcohol-related motor vehicle |
| specific drug abuse differ depending on their | | | | crashes and nonfatally hurts someone every 2 |
| mechanisms of action, the amount consumed, | | | | minutes. |
| the history of the user, and other factors. | | | | |
| | | | • According to National Hardcore Drunk |
| Why Intoxicated Driving is dangerous? | | | | Driver Project 58% of alcohol-related traffic |
| | | | fatalities in 2006 involved drivers with a |
| The primary concern regarding intoxicated | | | | blood alcohol concentration of .15 or above. |
| driving is that driving under the influence | | | | |
| of any drug that acts on the brain could | | | | • Studies conducted in several |
| impair one's judgment, reaction time, and | | | | localities have found that approximately 4 to |
| motor skills. Intoxicated driving is a public | | | | 14 percent of drivers who sustained injury or |
| health concern because it puts not only the | | | | died in traffic accidents tested positive for |
| driver at risk, but also passengers and | | | | delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the |
| others who share the road. | | | | active ingredient in marijuana. |
| | | | |
| How dangerous is driving while intoxicated? | | | | • One study found that about 34% of |
| | | | motor vehicle crash victims admitted to a |
| A number of studies have examined illicit | | | | Maryland trauma center tested positive for |
| drug use in drivers involved in motor fatal | | | | "drugs only". About 16% tested positive for |
| accidents, reckless driving, or vehicle | | | | "alcohol only". |
| crashes. For example, | | | | |
| | | | • According to 2006 NHTSA data, more |
| • According to NHTSA 2006 report, | | | | than half of the 414 child passengers ages 14 |
| during 2005, 16,885 people in the U.S. died | | | | and younger who died in alcohol-related |
| in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes, | | | | crashes during 2005 were riding with the |
| representing 39% of all traffic-related | | | | drinking driver. |