This December, the country will recognize National Impaired Driving Prevention Month in an effort to raise the visibility of impaired driving and help drivers understand the dangers of the problem. In 2010, the National High Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) showed that drugs or alcohol impaired one out of every three drivers killed in automotive accidents. A huge number of cases that Washington car accident lawyers handle every year involve alcohol, prescription medications, or other mind-altering substances.
The FARS also reveals that, over the past six years, the number of traffic accidents involving drugs has increased by 6 percent. This evidence, combined with the fact that the total number of traffic accidents has decreased during that time, highlights the public’s lack of understanding about the dangers of impaired driving.
Many methods have been used to convince recreational drug users that alcohol and other drugs impair driving and can lead to traffic accidents and fatalities. Some recent efforts include California’s decision to create separate laws for drunk driving, drugged driving, and driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol combined.
If you got into a traffic accident in Washington, DC with another driver and suspect that he or she had been under the influence, make sure to mention that to an attending police officer and to your attorney. Collect and save any evidence that might corroborate this suspicion, including pictures of the accident as well as recorded witness statements.
Call our Washington D.C. car accident attorneys about your recent crash to determine whether you might be able to obtain compensation for your injuries and damages.
Driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol is not the only way to put yourself in an unsafe state. Drowsy driving can also lead to traffic accidents and fatalities. See this article to learn more: New Research: Further Confirmation of the Dangers of Drowsy Driving.