Posted on 07/11/2018 8:16:15 PM PDT by yesthatjallen
Lawmakers on the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing Wednesday on the dangers of drug-impaired driving.
There is growing concern in Congress over the issue as data from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility finds that accidents from drugged driving have been on the rise over the last 10 years.
A recent report showed that 44 percent of fatally injured drivers tested positive for drugs in 2016. That number is up from 2006, when just 28-percent of fatally injured drivers were drug-positive.
But lawmakers also pressed for more information about the problem.
While the trend appears to be alarming, Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) raised questions the statistics from the GHSA and the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility.
“While this statistic, of course, raises concern, I have questions and concerns about the methodology and accuracy of this statement,” Schakowsky said.
She pointed out that there is no nationally accepted way of testing the drug impairment level of drivers.
“Alcohol continues to cause more deaths than drugs,” Schakowsky said.
Colleen Sheehy-Church, the President of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), who testified at the hearing, agreed.
“The truth is that we do not know how many people are killed each year due to drug-impaired driving,” said Sheehy-Church, whose son was killed by a driver who was under the influence of both alcohol and drugs.
MADD, founded in 1980, advocates against drunk driving. The group says focusing on that problem will also help reduce drug-impaired driving.
Lawmakers and experts also debated the impact of marijuana legalization on the issue. Recreational marijuana is now legal in nine states.
“With the prevalence of marijuana legalization — recreation and medicinal — it is critical that more work be done to understand impairment," Sheehy-Church.
"We agree with the recent AAA [American Automobile Association] study, which states, a .08 [blood alcohol content] equivalent may not be possible with marijuana. But we still must better understand how marijuana impairment influences driving behaviors,” she added.
ETC...
I’m stunned. Stunned, I tell you. Like they couldn’t figure out this would be happening???? Actions have consequences. Sigh.
Hey dude, what could go wrong with legal Mary Jane, dude?
Drugged and drunk driving occur all the time and have occurred all the time regardless of what the law is or is not.
How could this have happened I always was told it’s a victimless crime it’s good for everybody and George Soros says it’s good so it’s got to be right
libertarians: endangering public safety and destroying the social order while sactimoniously claiming to be above it all for decades.
You know, I keep asking about how to gage when someone is high operating a vehicle, or worse, some sort of dangerous machinery while on the job. Who wants someone operating a crane? Its easy to tell if they are drunk, but how can you tell if someone is baked?
It has become way worse in the last ten years, at least in my opinion. Every older person I see driving like a maniac I assume are completely gakked on their meds. Every young person being wacky behind the wheel is assumed to be either on their phone or gakked on illegal drugs. Have to say most of the complete maniacs seem to be the older people, it seem like that % has increased even with the increase of cell phone idiots.
Freegards
Rest assured the vast majority of those dead “drugged” drivers are on legal drugs from the pharmacy.
It’s your grandma...dude.
I’m concerned too. Not a day goes by when I don’t smell pot on the freeway. I believe it does affect timing and quick decision making. Getting high is not for on the road.
I see way more old folks driving like they can just barely do it as opposed to the phone idiots. I assume they are wacked on legal medication.
Freegards
I see a lot of them.
I see a lot of folks on their phone who should be beaten with pipes, but the real problems that cause disruption in traffic flow seem to be older folks not being able to handle it. It seems like that is way worse recently.
Freegards
Create the problem
Bemoan the problem
Impose draconian restrictions on people who aren’t part of the problem
Lather, rinse, repeat.
I’ve done some reading about MADD and Sheehy-Church. She soft on marijuana and inhibited against doing anything about it.
Typo correction:
I’ve done some reading about MADD and Sheehy-Church. She’s soft on marijuana and inhibited against doing anything about it.
Is there an available test? Can someone go to court and say “I pulled bingers yesterday so I was not high”? I seriously dont know.
I will suggest that the first place to start checking for Drugged Drivers is (see My Tagline) and the first one be the kennedy spawn.
I remember a while back a story of a 02:00 - 03:00 traffic stop on him while in the usual state of the kennedy clan: Drunk AND on Rx Drugs. And DRIVING THE WRONG WAY ON A ONE WAY STREET!
IIRC the Capitol PoPo caught him and let it slide but took him home while looking the other way.
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