Trauma Survivors Network - provided by ATS

Survive. Connect. Rebuild.

A Program of the ATS

Drugs, Alcohol, and Substance Abuse

Impaired driving is driving under the influence of any drug or alcohol that may impair the drivers’ abilities to control the vehicle at all times. In 2005, nearly 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. Alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes kill someone every 31 minutes and non-fatally injure someone every two minutes. During 2005, 16,885 people in the U.S. died in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes, representing 39% of all traffic-related deaths. Drugs other than alcohol (e.g., marijuana and cocaine) are involved in about 18% of motor vehicle driver deaths. These other drugs are generally used in combination with alcohol. Of the 1,946 traffic fatalities among children ages 0 to 14 years in 2005, 21% involved alcohol. Each year, alcohol-related crashes in the United States cost about $51 billion.

Risk factors for driving while impaired include the excessive use of alcohol, narcotics, stimulants, or other drugs (either prescription or recreational) that influence judgment and reaction time while driving. Use of drugs and alcohol combined with poor decision making abilities lead to impaired driving. Often a person may not realize that they are impaired until after he or she gets into the car and is faced with situation requiring fast reaction time. Therefore the decision to not drive must be made before engaging in drinking or drug taking behavior.

One out of four of all occupant deaths among children ages 0 to 14 years involve a drinking driver. More than two-thirds of these fatally injured children were riding with a drinking driver.