We hear a lot about drunk driving, but drugged driving is also a major factor in crashes in Georgia. It may have been the cause of a fatal Newnan crash.
In a recent crash in Newnan, state patrol officers said drugs were suspected as a factor.
The Newnan Times-Herald reported a fatal wreck in April. Investigators said a 28-year-old man lost control of his car on Boone Road. He struck a tree on the passenger side of the car.
Was drugged driving a cause of a fatal Newnan crash?
Police said a passenger, Larry Thompson, of Newnan, was killed by the impact. The driver was transported to Piedmont Newnan Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Boone Road was shut down for more than two hours while members of the Georgia State Patrol’s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team (SCRT) investigated the wreck. Investigators said drugs were the suspected cause of the wreck.
Drugged driving, like drunk driving, is linked to thousands of crashes every year across the United States.
The Impact of Drugged Driving
A report by the National Institute on Drug Abuse suggested marijuana can reduce reaction times, impair a driver’s judgment of distance and time and impact coordination.
Drugs such as cocaine or methamphetamine can be linked to aggression, recklessness and road range driving.
Drugs like sedatives can cause drowsiness and dizziness. When golfer Tiger Woods was arrested for drunk driving on Memorial Day, he blamed prescription drugs, reported CNN.
All of these impairments can lead to vehicle crashes. However, there is less standardization of testing related to drugged driving as there is for drunk driving.
The extent of drugged driving on the roads of Georgia may be significant. A National Survey on Drug Use and Health three years ago concluded 10 million people drove under the influence of illicit drugs during the year prior to being surveyed. The survey did not include people who may have been impaired due to prescription drugs.
The lack of a good roadside test for drugged driving makes it hard to gauge the number of injuries and deaths caused by driving under the influence of drugs.
One survey by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
found that in 2009, 18 percent of all drivers killed in wrecks tested positive for at least one drug.
A study a year later showed that 11 percent of deadly crashes involved a drugged driver.
If you have been injured or lost a loved one in Newnan, Peachtree City, Palmetto or elsewhere in Georgia due to the actions of a drunk or a drugged driver, contact our Georgia drugged driving lawyers at (404) 913-1529.