Stopping Drug Impaired Driving

Washington, Mar 8 - WASHINGTON, DC - Would it surprise you to learn that up to 20 percent of drivers involved in motor vehicle accidents were under the influence of illegal drugs? Or that in 2002 almost 11 million people drove a car or truck while under the influence of drugs?

Our nation's response to drunk driving has driven the numbers of drunk drivers down over the past decade. But the nation's 16 million current users of illegal drugs have faced no similar effort as they continue to drive under the influence of drugs such as marijuana, cocaine and heroin.

Drug impaired driving has become a problem here in Southern Ohio. Last year, a 23 year old young man from Hamilton County was killed in a drug-related auto accident when his friend drove a car under the influence of marijuana and alcohol. Last October, a local 16 year old was killed when his car crashed at a speed police estimated to be around 96 mph. He had alcohol and marijuana in his system. The previous year a Hamilton County woman high on cocaine slammed the car she was driving head-on into another car, killing a 65 year old man from Cincinnati. These are just a few of the many accidents in our area that involved drug impaired driving. For public health and safety, we need to identify, prosecute, and treat drug impaired drivers in Ohio and throughout the country just as we do drunk drivers.

And I believe a more effective public policy for detection and prosecution will not only improve traffic safety and create a deterrent, but would get those drivers who violate the law into treatment.

I have authored new legislation, the Drug Impaired Driving Enforcement Act, that will provide assistance and guidance to states as they begin to address drug impaired driving. The bill calls on the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to craft a model state drug impaired driving law that takes into account all the research and best practices to ensure that drivers in need of drug treatment are identified and provided with the appropriate assistance. It also enhances the training of police officers and prosecutors to detect, enforce and prosecute drug impaired driving laws. The legislation also funds research to develop field tests to be able to identify drug impaired drivers.

I have worked closely with Ohio law enforcement officials to craft this legislation. Our local officers lack the support and training they need to detect drug use in drivers in the way they can now detect alcohol in drivers. Prosecutors, too, need more tools and resources to address drug impaired driving. While there are some training programs on substance abuse, there are no specific programs on the issues related to drugged driving. In order to have effective policies that deal with drug impaired drivers, police, toxicologists, prosecutors, judges, and treatment professionals need to be better trained and need to work together.

Over time, the Drug Impaired Driving Enforcement Act will greatly improve traffic safety and reduce traffic fatalities as has been the case with drunk driving laws. It is time to deal with these undetected dangers on our roads and highways before more damage occurs and more lives are lost.