Advocacy groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving have been positive voices for several decades now in the effort to reduce the number of people who choose to drive after drinking alcohol. Research released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association last year indicates that some progress has been made although a new danger to Connecticut residents appears to be growing.
The National Roadside Survey of Alcohol and Drug Use by Drivers was conducted over a series of multiple months in 2013 and 2014. Drivers volunteered to participate at preset roadside stops. One could argue that a driver who knows he is impaired may not be too likely to voluntarily stop and therefore the results could be somewhat skewed. However, you can at least compare prior survey results to the recent ones for an accurate comparison there.
Among drivers with alcohol levels over the legal limit, the number dropped from 2.2 percent in 2007 to 1.5 percent. Just under seven percent of drivers had some amount of alcohol in their systems but were under the legal limit of 0.08 percent. A different trend was noticed when looking at drug use among drivers. Illegal drugs were detected in 15 percent of drivers in the new study compared with 12 percent in 2007. Marijuana was found in more than 12.5 percent of drivers compared to over eight percent before. The presence of all drugs together also rose from just over 16 percent to 20 percent of drivers tested.
If you would like to learn more about drunk driving, please feel free to visit the impaired motor vehicle operation page of our Connecticut personal injury website.
