Drunk Vs Drugged Driving- Which poses a bigger threat?

We hear about it on the nightly news multiple times per week. A driver has been operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Most of the times, the occurrences come with less than desired outcomes. The driver may have been injured, or injured other motorists who were not under any influences. Or, both the driver and the vehicle in which they crashed into suffered from injuries.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to control where these types of accidents will occur, and when they will take place. It seems like an issue that faces communities across the globe. With this being said, it’s important that everyone takes time out of their busy schedules to evaluate what they can do to help reduce these types of accidents.
Alongside drunk driving, those operating vehicles under the influence of drugs can also cause many problems for motorists trying to remain safe during their commute. In fact, over the past several years drugged driving has been on the rise, according to statistics. Though the total number of drunk drivers between 2012 and 2016 was nearly 39,000, the number of accidents during these same years within the state of Texas totaled to right under 6,500. Upon evaluating the numbers, one can determine that, though the occurrences are less numerous, they have slowly been on the rise in comparison to the slowly declining number of drunk driving accidents that have taken place over the past few years.
As a community, we need to come together to make changes to overcome the accidents that are related with drug and alcohol use. The largest percentage of these accidents occurs within individuals between the ages of 18 to 25. With this in mind, it’s important that parents are educating their teens of the dangerous outcomes that can happen when placed behind a wheel after consuming alcohol. By educating future generations, we can help to develop more conscious, informed young individuals that will help to reduce these types of accidents. In addition, talking about drunk and drugged driving with peers and colleagues, and sharing personal stories or eyewitness accounts of drugged and drunk driving accidents can paint vivid pictures in the minds of our peers, and hopefully help to raise awareness for the issues we face today.
Schools and Universities alike have implemented student presentations and guides to help overcome this rising issue. Though these programs have proven successful in explaining and showcasing the consequences of driving under the impairment of alcohol or drugs, it’s nearly impossible to completely eliminate the problem with these types of educational programs alone. Sharing eyewitness accounts, and personal experiences with the age group most likely to be affected by these accidents would be the first step. Advocating for the cause, and being an activist within your community can also help to spread the message within your community.
Take a stance today, and help to reduce the number of drugged and drunk driving accidents that occur within your region today. View the resource below for more information on the rates of these types of accidents within the state of Texas, and conduct personal research within your area to help spread the word.

Infographic Source: http://www.kraftlaw.com/drunk-vs-drugged/