Drugging and Driving

Here is a statistic that will make you uneasy: more fatal accidents are now being caused by drugged driving than drunk driving. Here are 15 facts you may not know about drugged driving:

In 43% of all fatal crashes, drugs were involved – either prescription or illicit. This is compared to alcohol being involved in 37% of all fatal crashes.
Drug interactions often play a pivotal role in car accidents. For instance, with Vicodin alone, there are 800 possible medical interactions.
A 10 mg Valium is the equivalent to a drunk blood alcohol concentration.
Anti-depressants can cause reactions that mimic drunk driving.
Pain medications dull a person’s response to pain, but they also dull a driver’s response time.
Unlike drunk driving where law enforcement can use a Breathalyzer to determine if someone is above the legal limit, there is no objective roadside test that can be administered to a driver suspected of drugged driving.
Drugs like meth and cocaine can increase a driver’s tendency to be aggressive and engage in road rage.
In a 2014 survey, 10 milliion drivers reported operating a vehicle under the influence of illegal drugs in the year prior.
Men and younger drivers are more likely to drug and drive.
Marijuana is the illicit drug (although not illicit in 26 states and the District of Columbia) most commonly found in the blood stream of drugged drivers. In the prescription drug category, the most common was pain relievers.
Traffic deaths were up 7.7% in 2015, the most recent year for compiled data.
According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, from 2010 to 2015, the number of fatal crashes caused by drugged drivers increased 89% in our State.
Incredibly, a third of teen drivers think they drive better under the influence of marijuana.
Not surprisingly, the risk of being injured by a drugged driver is increased at night and on weekends.
A whopping 57% of all fatally injured drivers had drugs or alcohol in their blood. 17% had combined alcohol and drugs.

At The Law Offices of John Day, P.C., our award-winning lawyers are dedicated to helping car accident victims who have been injured by drugged or alcohol-impaired drivers. If you have been injured in a wreck, we urge you to call us quickly so that we can immediately begin taking steps to protect your rights. When you call us, we will review your case with you for absolutely no charge. If we think we can help and you decide to hire us, we handle all car accident cases on a contingency basis, which means we only get paid if we win.

Call us any time at 615-742-4880 (Nashville) or 615-867-9900 (Murfreeboro) or 866-812-8787 (toll-free). Or you can fill out this contact form and we will call you.