PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The prevalence of non-alcohol drug use by drivers has increased in the last few decades, with marijuana becoming the leading drug detected in fatal crashes. In 2014, 20% of drivers tested positive for at least one drug in the National Roadside Survey of Alcohol and drug use by drivers, while the proportion involved in fatal collisions for those who tested positive is nearly double that at approximately 38%. Further challenges include the growing number of drugs and drug combinations that contribute to impairment and the lack of rapid, reliable, and affordable roadside tests such as those that exist for alcohol.

 Several interventions to prevent impaired driving have been proposed in an effort to decrease alcohol and/or drug-related crashes, including lowering the legal limit for drunk driving, sobriety checkpoints, passage and enforcement of alcohol laws targeting selling, possessing, keg distribution, ignition interlocks for all offenders, zero tolerance for teen drivers and per se laws for drugs. Given the growing challenges of the impact of such substances, a comprehensive analysis of the impact of enforcement and education is essential. This research will design a survey to understand individuals' perceptions of strict enforcement and widespread education. We will perform descriptive statistics and empirical modeling based on the survey data. The output of this project will be a set of evidence-based policies that will direct us to promote safety by reducing drug and alcohol impaired driving. Furthermore, this collaborative research can effectively help to reduce the impacts of driving under the influence by providing evidence-based public policy, engineering, education, and enforcement.