From SAFE COMMUNITIES OF WOOD COUNTY
Safe Communities has announced that there have been 10 fatal crashes in Wood County this year compared to twelve at this time last year.
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To help keep drug-impaired drivers off the streets during the holiday season, Safe Communities is teaming up with Local Law Enforcement to spread the message that drug-impaired driving is dangerous and illegal. With more people on the roads traveling to holiday festivities and vacations, there is a higher occasion for impaired-driving crashes. Please help us spread this lifesaving message and remove drug-impaired drivers from our nation’s highways: If You Feel Different, You Drive Different.
Like drunk driving, it is illegal nationwide to drive under the influence of drugs — no exceptions. Whether the drug is obtained legally or illegally, drug-impaired driving poses a threat to the driver, vehicle passengers, and other road users. We are working to spread the word about the dangers of drug-impaired driving and to remind all drivers: If you are impaired by drugs and are thinking about driving, pass your keys on to a sober driver. The message is clear: If You Feel Different, You Drive Different.
According to NHTSA, between 2009 and 2018, of those drivers killed in crashes and tested for marijuana, the presence of marijuana had nearly doubled. In 2018, 46% of drivers who were killed in crashes and were tested for drugs, tested positive. This is why it’s so important we spread this lifesaving message: If You Feel Different, You Drive Different. It doesn’t matter what term you use: If a person is feeling a little high, buzzed, stoned, or wasted, he or she should not get behind the wheel. Think driving while high won’t affect you? You’re wrong. It has been proven that THC can slow reaction times, impair cognitive performance, and make it more difficult for drivers to keep a steady position in their lane.
When it comes to marijuana use, especially, the laws are changing across the country, but that doesn’t change the fact that it is an impairing substance, and any impairment is dangerous and illegal when you’re behind the wheel of a vehicle. We are asking drivers to please make good decisions during the long holiday and commit to sober driving.
Options to Get Home Safely
If you’re planning to head out for a holiday festivity, make sure you plan for a safe ride home. Here are a few tips to help you prepare for a safe night out.
If you have used an impairing substance such as marijuana, do not drive. Passengers should never ride with an impaired driver. If you think a driver may be impaired, do not get in the car.
If you are drug-impaired, pass the keys to a sober driver who can safely drive you to your destination. Like drunk driving, it is essential that drug-impaired drivers refrain from driving a vehicle. It is never okay to drive while impaired by any substance.
Do you have a friend who is about to drive while impaired by drugs? Take the keys away and arrange to get them home safely. Don’t worry about offending someone — they’ll thank you later.
If you see an impaired driver on the road, dial 911 or #611
By working together, we can save lives and help keep America’s roadways safe. Please join us in sharing the lifesaving message If You Feel Different, You Drive Different. For more information, visit www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/if-you-feel-different-you-drive-different.
