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New Campaign by NHTSA Aims to Stop Drugged Driving

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Driving while under the influence of drugs (DUID), an illegal act across the United States, is the focus of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) new initiative. Because DUIDs are on the rise, the NHTSA is “looking to develop creative solutions to improve safety and reduce deaths caused by motor vehicle crashes.”


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A summit scheduled for March 15 will set the new program in motion by congregating local and state elected officials, safety partners of the NHTSA, law enforcement, toxicologists, criminal justice professionals, and policy and data experts. The NHTSA hopes these experts will be able to engage in discussions, determine a call-to-action as well as outline a plan to tackle drugged driving, which is putting everyone on the road in danger.

“Nobody can solve drugged driving alone, but by sharing best practices we can begin to save lives today — we cannot afford to wait,” said Heidi King, NHTSA Deputy Administrator. “And by advancing the science and the data, we can address this problem for our communities in the future.”

NHTSA’s new campaign is in direct response to the opioid epidemic that is gripping the country as well as the movement by states to legalize marijuana.

“The summit will explore best practices for educating the public on the overall risk of drug-impaired driving; collecting consistent data and tracking DUIDs; testing and measuring driver impairment levels; and enforcing DUID laws,” reports the NHTSA.


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In the coming weeks, the NHTSA said it will release further information about the summit and the initiative.

News Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)