Drug Impaired Driving

A new study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reveals the COVID-19 pandemic’s deadly impact on traffic safety in the United States. Researchers at the AAA Foundation found dangerous behaviors like speeding, not using seatbelts, and impaired driving contributed to a significant rise in fatal crashes compared to pre-pandemic times. Notably, the new research highlights a disparity in the pandemic’s impact on traffic safety. Black and Hispanic Americans, already disproportionately affected by traffic fatalities, saw even more significant increases from 2020 through 2022.

A horrific crash that killed six high school girls in Oklahoma two years ago has the head of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) urging parents to warn teenagers about the risk of driving after using marijuana. The board, after an investigation by its staff, determined that the crash was caused by likely recent marijuana use and distraction from having five teen passengers in the car. The NTSB recommended in the development of a drug and alcohol abuse curriculum for local school districts that tells students about the risk of cannabis-impaired driving. The NTSB also wants the Governors Highway Safety Association and other organizations to inform members about the Tishomingo crash and the need for cannabis information in school and driver education coursework.

Building on the success of their previous holiday ride-share programs, MDOT MVA was one of two State Highway Safety Offices to receive a grant from GHSA, ride-hailing company Lyft, and Responsibility.org to prevent impaired driving during the 2023 holiday season. The "Be the Make a Plan Driver" campaign was further amplified on social media and online, promoting discounted rides for the holiday season.

The Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GAGOHS) was crucial in promoting safe transportation alternatives and preventing impaired driving during the 2023 Holiday season. GAGOHS, as one of two State Highway Safety Offices to receive a grant from GHSA, ride-hailing company Lyft, and Responsibility.org, utilized the funding to encourage responsible choices and discourage driving after consuming alcohol. This was achieved by promoting Lyft ride credits via advertisements as part of the state’s “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” driving campaign.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 22, 2024

CONTACT: Adam Snider (GHSA), 202-580-7930, 202-365-8971 (cell)
                 Katie Beaumont (Responsibility.org), (202) 355-1915

As summer driving season kicks off, three states receive funding to help law enforcement identify and remove impaired drivers from the road

GHSA, Responsibility.org and the National Alliance to Stop Impaired Driving (NASID) have awarded more than $86,000 to three states for initiatives to combat alcohol, cannabis and multiple-substance impaired driving. Now in its tenth year, this long-running grant program has provided more than $1.1 million to State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) across the country to help address this growing roadway safety threat.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 21, 2024

Contact: Chris Minar, 202-466-5073, 301-395-6565 (after hours)

Statement by Jonathan Adkins, Chief Executive Officer, Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA)

Early this year, the United States will mark a grim and tragic milestone: Four million roadway deaths since 1899. Every single one of these people left behind countless family members, friends, colleagues and neighbors. It’s impossible to fully comprehend the grief and tragedy caused by a single death, let alone four million. Something must change.

Four Million Total U.S. Traffic Deaths Shows Need for National Safety Strategy

GHSA News Release
February 21, 2024

This year, the US will reach a total four million deaths on the road since 1899, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). Marking this 'grim and tragic milestone', the organisation's CEO Jonathan Adkins calls for a renewed sense of urgency in tackling this "safety crisis" and suggests more enforcement and better road design as key areas in which improvements can be made.

The device is called a DAX Evidence Recorder, costing about $5,000 each. The device is a camera specializing in recording eye movement. They’re made for police to be able to record movements associated with certain kinds of impairment. “There’s much more to impaired driving than just alcohol,” OSHP Drug Recognition Expert Lt. Nathan Dennis said. “Drugs play a vital role in that; drug impairment is something that is an issue across Ohio’s roadways.”