High Driving vs. Drunk Driving

High Driving vs. Drunk Driving

• October 4, 2024
• Categories: Vehicle Accidents

Prescription drugs, marijuana, and other intoxicants are as dangerous as alcohol when a driver gets behind the wheel. At Neale & Fhima, we believe greater awareness of the issue is needed. This begins with a recognition that high driving and drunk driving are related, but distinct, public safety problems.  Let’s take a closer look at high driving vs. drunk driving.

On one afternoon in California, a 14-year-old boy was riding his bicycle along Indianapolis Avenue in Huntington Beach. The school year was about to begin and the boy was on his way to pick up his class schedule. Suddenly, a Ford F-150 truck ran into the boy, killing him. The truck was traveling more than 20 mph over the speed limit at the time of the accident. The driver had not been drinking, but he was intoxicated nonetheless. Evidence produced at his criminal trial showed a mixture of Vicodin and Xanax in his blood. Alcohol is not the only substance that leads to impaired driving.

Roughly 42% of all drivers killed in motor vehicle crashes in California, who were tested, registered positive for legal and/or illegal drugs in their system, according to data from the California Office of Traffic Safety. That percentage has been increasing every year. Prescribed medications, illicit drugs, and over-the-counter medications can cause the same loss of motor skills, poor judgment, and delayed response time as alcohol. And the costs are high, not only in injury and potential loss of life, but also financially.

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) estimates the cost of an impaired driving offense to be approximately $13,500, which includes insurance hikes, attorney and legal fees, restricted licensing, days off work to go to court, a criminal record and more. Impaired driving countermeasures are used aggressively by the CHP and include routine patrol, sobriety checkpoints, task force operations, public awareness, and proactive enforcement strategies. According to CHP, costs of drug- or alcohol-related arrests can include:

• Vehicle towing and storage: $187
• Booking, fingerprinting, jail costs: $156
• Fines (minimum): $468
• Penalties (minimum): $780
• Attorney and legal fees: $10,000
• Car insurance increase: $8,652
• Victim fund: $100
• Driver license reinstatement: $100
• DUI/driving impairment classes: $500
• Approximate Total: $20,943

Marijuana and Drugs: “The New DUI”

The problem of drugged driving has never been at the forefront of traffic safety improvement efforts – until recently. People are waking up to the fact that drug-impaired driving accidents injure and kill innocent people, just like drunk driving does. Illicit drugs like cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, ecstasy, and other street drugs inhibit driver ability. Despite the passage of Proposition 64, which gives adults over age 21 the right to recreationally use and cultivate marijuana, this doesn’t overshadow the dangers of driving while stoned.  We know that THC is the active ingredient in marijuana. Like Ethanol, THC can affect parts of the brain that control attentiveness and motor skills.

–DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze video, published by the California Office of Traffic Safety

But researchers have shown that differences do exist among drivers in high driving vs. drunk driving. The primary difference has to do with awareness of impairment. Unlike drunk drivers, drug-impaired drivers are more likely to realize they are intoxicated. They often try to compensate by driving slowly or by increasing the distance between their vehicle and surrounding vehicles and objects. Unfortunately, overly cautious driving can itself be dangerous in high traffic environments.

High Driving vs. Drunk Driving: Drug Use Is on the Rise

Opioid use and deaths have skyrocketed in America, which means more drivers are driving under the influence of drugs than ever before. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 11.8 million Americans drove under the influence of drugs in a recent year.

More than 75% of the nearly 107,000 drug overdose deaths in 2021 involved an opioid. Clearly, an opioid epidemic is sweeping America.

Do Not Let an Intoxicated Driver Escape Justice

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident or truck accident involving a drugged driver, you may be entitled to financial compensation.  Intoxicated drivers may try to flee, hide evidence, or even switch seats with a sober passenger to avoid getting caught. A skilled and experienced personal injury lawyer can investigate the scene, review evidence, interview witnesses, and build a powerful case showing that you were injured due to someone else’s negligence.  The attorneys at Neale & Fhima will fight for the maximum payout possible in your claim for damages.  To find out more about how we can help, call us for a free consultation at 888-407-2955.