Monday, October 7, 2013

Drugged Driving Plays Major Role in Traffic Deaths

From Children's Safety Network
Drug use triples drivers' risk of a fatal car crash, and the combination of drugs and alcohol causes an astronomical increase of 23 times the risk, according to a new study from Accident Analysis & Prevention.

Drugged driving is a growing safety concern in the United States and many other countries -- especially with the rise of prescription drug abuse -- but there's been little investigation into its role in crashes to date, the study authors said.

The researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health analyzed U.S. government data on roadside surveys of alcohol and drug use by drivers and fatal crashes. They found that nearly 32 percent of drivers involved in fatal crashes and about 14 percent of "control" drivers in the roadside surveys tested positive for at least one drug.

Click here for the news story from healthfinder.gov

Click here for the abstract from Accident Analysis & Prevention