You may be informed about drunk driving but it is also important to know the dangers of drugged driving in Connecticut. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, you may become an unsafe driver when you are under the influence of drugs.
Drugged driving usually involves the use of illegal drugs such as cocaine and heroin, but can also include prescription drugs. If you are an older adult taking a prescribed drug, you may accidentally become intoxicated if a drug does not break down quickly once taken, and dosages are sometimes mistaken if you have experienced mental decline. While 7 percent of adults reported using illegal drugs in 2010, young adults are more likely to drive drugged than adults over the age of 25, according to one study. Drugged driving has been seen in adolescents as young as 12, and 10 million people acknowledged the practice in 2014. The trend is worrying in younger drivers, as speeding and tailgating are more likely to occur among this demographic.
Many collisions caused by drugged driving involve marijuana, as you may weave between lanes and experience delayed reactions. Recklessness is associated with cocaine use, and you may be dizzy while operating a vehicle after taking a sedative. Prescription drugs were involved in the collisions of 47 percent of drugged drivers according to a 2010 study.
Drugged drivers were involved in 11 percent of fatal collisions in a different 2010 study, but the actual number of collisions involving drugs is uncertain. Drivers sometimes combine alcohol and drugs, and while police regularly use breathalyzers to establish drunk driving, they do not yet have a comparative device for drug levels. It can also be difficult to determine if drugs or alcohol had the bigger impact on a collision.
