Driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol has been a major contributing factor to the rise of personal injury claims in the State of California. Because of this adverse trend, hundreds of people get injured and worst get killed due to drunken driving. However, unfortunately, alcohol is not only the cause of impaired driving in the United States as drug-related DUIs are also on the rise.
Drugged driving may be considered a relatively new concept in the country but the effects of it are nothing but devastating and life-altering. Due to this, it is a must for any driver, especially those who take prescribed medications to refrain from getting behind the wheel while under the influence. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), illicit drugs, over-the-counter medicines, and prescription drugs are the common causes of drug-related DUIs.
When a driver operates his or her vehicle while on drugs, chances are his or her driving skills become impair. Drugs can alter people’s decision-making, bodily coordination, reasonable thinking, and mental alertness. In short, drugs can make a driver susceptible to road collisions. In relation to this, it is a must for any California driver not to drive after taking medications.
In addition to the said effects of drugged driving, drugs may also induce a person to become drowsy. Particular substances can make a person feel sleepy. NHTSA reports that at least 100,000 road accidents occur in the country due to drowsy driving each year. It is accounted for 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries, and $12.5 billion for monetary losses annually.
Los Angeles lawyers believe that the stable rate of car accident-related cases in California may be attributed to drug-related DUIs. Such connotation is evident with the findings of NHTSA. According to the Administration, in 2007 alone, drugged driving caused 16 percent of all weekend and nighttime traffic accidents in the US. Additionally, NHTSA found out that 18 percent of people who were killed due to road accidents in 2008 were positive for drug use.
Teen and young adult drivers are more likely to commit drugged driving as compared to older motorists as the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) suggest. According to NSDUH in 2009 near 10.5 million teen and young adult Americans drove at least once in their life while under the influence of illicit substance.
People who get involved in an accident in California due to negligence of a drugged driver should seek legal assistance from Los Angeles lawyers in order to obtain deserve amount of compensations. Under the tort law, negligent drivers like drugged motorists may be held liable once they cause injury or harm to others.
