High and Behind the Wheel

(Winter 2016) The American Automobile Association (AAA) recently released data indicating that those driving while high on illegal drugs pose more of a danger to other motorists on the road than drunk drivers. Mirroring this statistic, AAA’s poll numbers found that almost three-fourths of American motorists perceive drugged drivers as a considerable danger to their safety, while 71% feel similarly about those driving under the influence of alcohol. Thirty-four percent of survey participants also believe that individuals driving with prescription drugs in their system are a large threat to motorists’ well being.

Bringing these concerns closer to home, the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s St. Clairsville post revealed that arrests for driving under the influence of narcotics are on the upswing. Troopers at this eastern-Ohio station said that its day and afternoon shifts are logging arrests for drugged driving at an equal rate to its night watch.

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