Drug use now rivals drunk driving as cause of fatal car crashes, study says

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Drug use now rivals drunk driving as cause of fatal car crashes, study says

Transportation

By Ashley Halsey III September 30

....
Drunk drivers have long been the scourge of the roadways, and they still are, but now drivers on drugs are becoming a menace that rivals them, according to a new federal report.

A quadrupling in the use of prescription drugs since 1999, and legalization of marijuana use in some states are cited among the reasons drug use has become an increasing threat to roadway safety, according to a report released today by the Governors Highway Safety Association, an organization of state highway safety officers.

According to the study, drugs were found in the systems of almost 40 percent of fatally injured drivers who were tested for them. That rivals the number of drivers who died with alcohol in their system.

The number of dead drivers who tested positive for drugs has increased from 29 percent in 2005 to 39.9 percent in 2013, the report said, citing federal crash data.

[WDIM]

1. All that means is more people are using drugs.

Just because drugs are found in your system does not mean you are under the influence of drugs. MJ can be found in your system for upto 30days.

Plus they are looking at drivers killed in accidents. It doesnt say it was always that drivers fault. Their study doesnt seem to address who caused the accident. It just focuses on drivers killed in car crashes.

[whatthehey]

2. And the last paragraph is different for BAC how?