Impaired Driving Increases Deaths Caused by Car Accidents

Impaired driving refers to cases where the car crashes due to no vehicle issues such as distraction of phone usage, sleepiness, drugs, and drunkenness. According to SAMHSA, cases of teenagers being victims have been rising. A report by NHTSA shows that 66 percent of drivers get into at least a single car crash in their lifetime. These impairments usually affect one’s attention; the effect of these issues causes the driver to get into a situation where they can’t easily decide an action during driving that may offer safety to themselves and other passengers.

There has been an active campaign to educate the masses, especially drivers, on impaired driving, but unfortunately, the crashes continue to be reported. Some of the people with auto safety cars may have survived perishing from car crashes, but many people are at a risk of car crash associated with the cases discussed below. The following are some of the forms of impaired driving.

1. Drunk Driving

Operating on the road under the influence of alcohol or other drugs can be harmful; the action exposes the driver and passengers to the possibilities of a car crash rooted so much with a record of 4 million people being arrested due to drunk driving. Increased cases of drunk driving have been recorded especially during holidays when people get to enjoy drinks at parties and family get-togethers. If you think you or a loved one is at risk of drunk driving, consider practical solutions. These solutions include having a service like Low Cost Interlock install a device to prevent drivers from being intoxicated, or utilizing a rideshare app to avoid getting behind the wheel altogether.

2. Phone Calls and Driving

Records show that more than a quarter of car accidents are as a result of phone use while driving. Sadly, an average of nine people die every day in the United States in car accidents related to distracted driving. Phone calling has always posed a risk of accidents happening. What happens is that the drivers under phone calls get to divert their attention to the message coming through the phone. In case of any problems occurring on the road, it finds the driver in an unaware mode whereby they are unable to control their vehicles. Studies also show that most drivers make at least one call per day while driving.

3. Driving While Using Marijuana

According to a state medical report data, marijuana is the second most used drug by drivers. Records by NIH shows that approximately 12 million people were caught driving under the influence of illegal products, especially marijuana. In most cases, men have been more involved than women in such cases. In fact, in a previous study revealed that for every ten drivers, three of them had used marijuana.

4. Texting and Driving

Texting is the most common activity done on a smartphone today; the bad habit of texting while driving is more common in teens and youths. The American Automobile Association reports that over 50 percent of teenage drivers have been distracted while driving due to texting. Most of these cases of texting by drivers occur while the traffic is high. Cases of deaths by car accidents caused by texting while driving has increased in the recent years.

Unfortunately, even with the government efforts to control these cases of crashes caused by distraction and with support well-coordinated campaigns, the distractions continue to cause accidents. In most cases, the majority of drivers who test positive for the use of one drug test positive for many others. Reports also show that consumption of cocaine before and while driving has been on the rise whereby 10 percent of tested drivers tested positive for cocaine.

It’s more horrifying to note that a good number of drivers under the influence of drugs may have minimal experience; they use drugs to boost their confidence. Measures to curb these cases should be put in place mainly through the imposition of hefty fines and sanctions. On the other hand, it also depends on the goodwill of the drivers to adhere to rules and regulations set.