Dangers Of Driving Impaired
Impaired driving comes in many different forms and causes thousands of injuries and deaths in the U.S. every year.
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Drowsy Driving
- 60% of U.S. adults admit to drowsy driving
- 1/3 of those have fallen asleep at the wheel
Drowsy driving typically caused by:
- Sleepiness and/or fatigue
- Untreated sleep disorders
- Prescription medications
- Alcohol or illicit drugs
- Late night shift work
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration annual estimates for drowsy driving:
- 100,000 crashes
- 71,000 injuries
- 1,550 deaths
- $12.5 billion in damages
Mostly like to drive drowsy:
- Commercial drivers
- Ages 18-29
- Men more likely than women
- More men fall asleep than women
- Sleeping <5 hours a night increases risk by four to 5x
- People with sleep disorders have higher risk of falling asleep
Drunk Driving
U.S. drunk driving statistics:
- 10,000 deaths every year
- Costs $132 billion per year
- 21% of 26-29 year olds drive drunk (highest rate by age group)
How blood alcohol level affects driving:
.02 -> Loss of judgement, decline in visual functioning, divided attention
.05 -> Impaired judgement, reduced coordination, harder to track moving objects
.08 -> Poor muscle coordination, short-term memory loss, impaired perception and judgement
.10 -> Slower thinking and reaction times, reduced ability to maintain lane and other basic driving skills
.15 -> Substantial impairment of attention, perception, visual and auditory processing; reduced ability to control the vehicle
Drinking and Driving NEVER Mix.
Marijuana Smoking
- Driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal in all states
- Smoking marijuana before driving doubles the risk of an accident
- Percentage of drivers in accidents who test positive for marijuana: 7%
- Stoned drivers don’t always realize their judgment is impaired
- Impairment increases significantly when combined with alcohol
Marijuana affects areas of the brain that control:
- Body movements
- Balance
- Coordination
- Memory
- Judgment
- Attentiveness
Smoking marijuana and driving DON'T Mix.
Prescription Medicine
Percentage of Americans who have taken prescription drugs within past 30 days:
- One or more drugs: 50%
- Two or more drugs: 31%
- Three or more drugs: 11%
- Prescription drugs are the most prevalent of all drugs found in drugged drivers involved in fatal crashes (46.5%)
- Benzodiazepines and opiates cause more fatal accidents than other drugs
Most prescription medications are safe, but side effects that can impair driving include:
- Anxiety
- Blurred vison
- Chest Pain
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Disorientation
- Drowsiness
- Muscle cramps
Staying Safe
- Get plenty of sleep
- Don’t drink and drive
- Don’t toke and drive
- Know the potential dangers of your prescription medications
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