Pubdate: Sat, 07 Feb 2015
Source: Tampa Bay Times (FL)
Copyright: 2015 St. Petersburg Times
Contact: http://www.sptimes.com/letters/
Website: http://www.tampabay.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/419
Page: A4

DRIVERS DRINKING LESS; MORE USE DRUGS

WASHINGTON - The number of drivers on the road with alcohol in their
systems has declined by nearly one-third since 2007, but there has
been a large increase in drivers using marijuana and other illegal
drugs, a government report released Friday found.

The report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said
the share of drivers who test positive for alcohol has declined by
more than three quarters since the agency first began conducting
roadside surveys in 1973.

But the latest survey, conducted in 2013 and 2014, also found that 22
percent of drivers tested positive for at least one drug that could
affect safety. That includes illegal drugs as well as prescription and
over-the-counter medications.

The anonymous surveys have been conducted five times over the past 40
years. They gather data in dozens of locations across the country from
drivers who agree to participate.

Mark Rosekind, head of the safety administration, credited efforts to
curb drunken driving for the decline in drivers who test positive for
alcohol, but said 'there is no victory as long as a single American
dies in an alcohol-related crash.' About 8 percent of drivers during
weekend nighttime hours were found to have some alcohol in their
system, and 1.5 percent were found with 0.08 percent or higher breath
alcohol content - the legal limit in every state. Drivers with any
alcohol in their systems and drivers testing greater than 0.08 percent
were both down by about 30 percent from the previous survey in 2007.

At the same time, more than 15 percent of drivers tested positive for
at least one illegal drug, up from 12 percent in 2007. The number of
drivers with marijuana in their systems grew by nearly 50 percent over
the same period of time, from 8.6 percent in 2007 to 12.6 percent in
2014.
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MAP posted-by: Matt