Impaired Driving

When most people think about impaired drivers, they picture drivers who are visibly drunk or high on drugs, and they would be right. Anti-impaired driving advocates claim that impaired drivers kill or maim someone in the United States every 30 minutes. That adds up to approximately 18,000 persons each year according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the numbers are rising.

Municipalities are taking this issue more seriously every day. New and stricter laws and penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs are enacted more and more frequently. Some of the methods of addressing this serious problem as recommended by the NHTSA include offender tracking systems and increased training for law enforcement.

Technically, a driver is considered to be impaired if he or she gets behind the wheel after one drink. Federal agencies are now gathering numbers regarding alcohol abuse in traffic victims who end up seeking emergency care. Statistics indicate that one in six of all victims of traffic accidents is under the influence of alcohol.

What Can I Do?

The designated-driver program was developed and publicized in order to help reduce alcohol and drug-related accidents and fatalities. Supporting anti-impaired driving agencies such as MADD can help. Talking a person under the influence out of driving is also a great idea. So is taking away their keys.

As of 1998, anyone who is driving with a Blood Alcohol Content of .08 or higher is considered to be at or above the national standard for impaired driving. Since then, the equipment used to detect blood alcohol levels has improved, and more and more law enforcement agencies are using spot checking events to detect abusers, especially during holidays.