Marijuana And Opioids Kill More Drivers
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
Although alcohol-related deaths in car accidents are down slightly in recent years, deaths from drivers under the influence of marijuana or opioids have increased.
In 2016 the GHSA (Governor’s Highway Safety Association) found that 44% of drivers who were killed in accidents tested positive for drugs. Only ten years before that, only 28% of those drivers tested positive for drugs. Testing for alcohol use is simpler than testing for drug use, because different drugs cause different impairment levels, depending on one’s body chemistry and other factors.
Not all states test for drugs in fatal accidents. Also, not all drivers who are under the influence of drugs are actually impaired, according to the NHTSA.
Nonetheless, the opioid epidemic has definitely affected car accident rates.