Drunk drivers aren’t the only thing you need to watch out for on the road. There has been a significant rise in the number of fatal accidents, and many of the drivers responsible are testing positive for prescription drugs.
Unfortunately, the rate of prescription drug abuse among teens is rising. In 2017, 16.5% of high school seniors reported that they used prescription drugs for recreational purposes.
The combination of inexperienced drivers and prescription drugs could prove to be deadly. Here’s what you need to know about this unfortunate pattern.
The Dangers of Drugged Driving
10.3 million teen and young adult drivers have admitted to driving while under the influence. Driving while taking prescription medication is dangerous because these drugs have the potential to impair the skills that are most needed when you’re behind the wheel, namely fine motor skills, reaction time, coordination, and judgment. Teens see drugged driving as less of an issue than drunk driving so they are more likely to engage in this dangerous behavior. Vehicle accidents are the primary cause of death for teens between 16 and 19 years old so combining prescription drugs and driving can only be detrimental.
Teens Aren’t the Only Drugged Drivers
As the Baby Boomer generation gets older, more and more people are legally taking prescription medications. In fact, they are also likely to be taking more than one type of prescription drug at one time. This can lead to an increase in fatal auto accidents. Studies have also found that older drivers are mixing prescription drugs and alcohol. Drivers over 50 are mixing marijuana with prescription drugs as efforts to legalize and decriminalize marijuana increase.
A Nation of Under the Influence Driving
In recent years, there has been a push from the White House for new laws on drugged driving in response to this crisis. There has also been a greater effort to educate drivers about the dangers of drugged driving while also attempting to dispel the lie that drugged driving is safe. Increased access to public transportation is a possible solution to combat drugged driving.
Confidential Testing for Prescription Drug at Test Smartly Labs
Hopefully, drivers of all ages will come to realize that drugged driving is just as serious as drunk driving. In the meantime, Test Smartly Labs offers walk-in and by-appointment drug testing services, including drug screens for prescription medications.
IF YOU ARE WORRIED THAT YOUR TEEN IS EXPERIMENTING WITH DRUGS, WE PROVIDE ACCURATE AND CONFIDENTIAL DRUG TESTING. CALL (816) 800-9699 OR CONTACT TEST SMARTLY LABS TODAY. YOU CAN MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AT ANY OF OUR 4 KANSAS CITY AREA LOCATIONS.