DUIDs Surpass DUIs as Cause of Fatal Vehicle Crashes

2015 was the first year that driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) surpassed those killed while driving under the influence of alcohol. Increased legal access to marijuana is correlated with the surge. Amphetamine use is also a factor.

2 minute read

April 29, 2017, 11:00 AM PDT

By Irvin Dawid


Crash

GUNDAM_Ai / Shutterstock

Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, was released April 26. It analyzed fatal crashes in 2015 using the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).

It found that drugs, be they legal or illegal, were present in 43 percent of fatally injured drivers, up from 28 percent in 2005, compared with 37 percent who tested above the legal limit for alcohol.

"Of the drivers who tested positive for drugs, more than a third had used marijuana and more than 9 percent had taken amphetamines," reports  for The Washington Post. In 2005, 28 percent of fatal crash victims tested positive for drugs.

“As drunken driving has declined, drugged driving has increased dramatically, and many of today’s impaired drivers are combining two or more substances,” said Ralph S. Blackman, president of the foundation, a nonprofit founded and funded by a group of distillers.

This is the second report by GHSA and the foundation. The first, released in September 2015 is based on 2013 FARS, showed that drugs accounted for 40 percent of driver fatalities, about the same as alcohol-related deaths.

Medical and recreational use of marijuana has been growing in the United States. According to the April 2007 infographic map of the U.S., nine states plus the District of Columbia now allow recreational use of the drug.

Major challenges for reducing drug-impaired driving include drivers being unaware that drug use affects driving, and testing the drivers for drug use is more complex than establishing a blood alcohol standard of 0.08.

Surveys of regular marijuana users in Colorado and Washington state which [have] legalized recreational use found that almost none of them thought marijuana use impaired their driving, while they believed drinking alcohol did.

The report lists a total of seven bullets explaining why drug-impaired driving is more complex than alcohol-impaired driving for many reasons.


Credit: Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA)

"Although the liberalization of marijuana laws and increase in drug-use fatalities might lead to an easy conclusion, the report cites European studies that found marijuana use slightly increased the risk of a crash, while opioids, amphetamines and mixing alcohol with drugs greatly increased the risk of a crash," adds Halsey.

Still, it's hard to ignore the finding in Colorado that marijuana-related traffic deaths increased by 48 percent since the enactment of Colorado Amendment 64 in November 2012.

Halsey recognizes the opioid epidemic: "heroin use and the abuse of prescription drugs — is well established. In 2015, more than 33,000 people fatally overdosed on opioids, almost equal to the 35,095 people killed that year in all traffic crashes," he reports. However, there were few references to them in the 56-page report [pdf], unlike marijuana which was widely covered.

Wednesday, April 26, 2017 in The Washington Post

Sweeping view of Portland, Oregon with Mt. Hood in background against sunset sky.

Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary

Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.

March 12, 2024 - Housing Wire

Aerial view of green roofs with plants in Sydney, Australia.

Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024

A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.

March 10, 2024 - Daily Journal of Commerce

Cobblestone street with streetcar line, row of vintage streetlights on left, and colorful restaurant and shop awnings on right on River Street in Savannah, Georgia.

Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts

From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.

March 12, 2024 - Strong Towns

Aerial View of Chuckanut Drive and the Blanchard Bridge in the Skagit Valley.

Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding

The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.

March 18 - The Seattle Times

Historic buildings in downtown Los Angeles with large "Pan American Lofts" sign on side of building.

Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly

The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.

March 18 - Beverly Press

View from above of swan-shaped paddleboats with lights on around artesian fountain in Echo Park Lake with downtown Los Angeles skylien in background at twilight.

LA's Top Parks, Ranked

TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.

March 18 - TimeOut

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.