Statewide 'Drugged Driving' Awareness Campaign Rolls Out

DENVER, CO – On average, more than 60 people are arrested each day in Colorado for impaired driving, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. When many people think of a DUI, they think of alcohol, but Colorado's roads are also dangerous when drug-impaired drivers get behind the wheel.

A new campaign to highlight the dangers of drugged driving rolls out this week courtesy of CDOT, the Colorado State Patrol, Colorado Task Force on Drunk and Impaired Driving (CTFDID) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

"If You Feel Different, You Drive Different" reminds drivers that if they are impaired they must pass their keys on to a sober driver. Violating Colorado’s DUI law includes driving under the influence of any impairing substance, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, illegal drugs and alcohol, CDOT said.

Last year, drivers in fatal crashes in Colorado tested positive for drugs 244 times. This included stimulants, depressants, narcotics, and active THC, CDOT said in a press release.

“We launched this new public education campaign to make sure everyone knows that driving under the influence of drugs impairs your ability to assess whether you are okay to drive,” said Heidi King, NHTSA Deputy Administrator. “We’re reminding all drivers that “If you feel different, you drive different. Drive high, get a DUI.” Because whether you’re driving under the influence of alcohol, marijuana or opioids – it’s all impaired driving.

In Colorado, 20 percent of people that partake in using cannabis admit to driving after using marijuana, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

NHTSA’s 2013/14 National Roadside Survey of Alcohol and Drug Use by Drivers found that nearly one in four weekend drivers tested positive for at least one drug that could impair their ability to drive safely. That's even true for drivers taking medical marijuana.

"If something impacts your ability to operate a vehicle safely, it makes you a hazard to yourself and to others" says Colonel Matt Packard, Chief of the Colorado State Patrol. "Too many times we have had to notify family members that their loved one is not coming home because of a bad decision to drive impaired by alcohol or drugs. It's a choice, a deadly choice."

Drugs can slow the reaction times of drivers, impair cognitive performance, effect judgement and hinder muscle control, which can cause weaving, speeding and other unsafe driving behaviors, CDOT said.

CDOT and the Colorado State Patrol offer these safety tips:

• If a driver has ingested an impairing substance, such as prescription drugs, sleep medication, marijuana, or any form of illegal drug, he or she should not drive.
• Never ride with an impaired driver. If you think a driver may be impaired, do not get in the car with them.
• If you are drug-impaired, pass the car keys to a sober driver who can safely drive you to your destination. It is never okay to drive while impaired by any substance.
• If you know someone who is about to drive impaired, arrange to get them home safely.
• Download NHTSA’s SaferRide mobile app, available on Google Play for Android devices. SaferRide allows users to call a taxi or a predetermined friend, and identifies the user’s location so he or she can be picked up.
• If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact 911 or CSP.

Find out more here.

Image via Shutterstock

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