A new State of California survey shows that more drivers tested positive for drugs that may impair driving than for alcohol. Locally, Mono County District Attorney Tim Kendall said that “Although no surveys of this kind have been conducted in Mono County, we are seeing a similar upward trend in the number of cases we now file.”

According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, the first-ever statewide roadside survey of alcohol and drug use by drivers revealed that drugs which can impair driving were found in one of every seven drivers. The State press release says 14% of drivers tested positive for drugs and 7.3% for alcohol. Of the drugs, according to the State, “Marijuana was most prevalent at 7.4%, slightly more than alcohol.”

The State Director of the Office of Traffic Safety, Christopher Murphy, said, “these results reinforce our belief that driving after consuming potentially impairing drugs is a serious and growing problem.”

The survey also noted that of the 7.3% of drivers who tested positive for alcohol, 23% of those also tested positive for at least one other drug. The survey discovered that impaired drivers had consumed both illegal drugs and prescription or over the counter medications that might impair driving.

Another statistic revealed that in 2010 in California, of drivers who were killed in traffic wrecks, 30% tested positive for legal and/ or illegal drugs – a percentage on the rise since 2006.


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