Charges of driving under the influence can uproot the life of any Rhode Island resident. If you face an arrest, you have the right to fight those charges to clear your name. Statistics have shown that most fatalities stemming from accidents caused by intoxicated drivers involve drugs more than alcohol.
Drugged driving on the rise
Most people automatically think about alcohol when they hear or see the phrase “driving under the influence” (DUI). However, in recent years, more victims have lost their lives due to drivers who were impaired by drugs. An official from the Department of Transportation (DOT) stated that they were used to seeing an increase in such accidents during the 100 deadliest days of summer. However, he pointed out that these crashes happened before that season even began and surmised that things would only get worse.
Mixed bag of drugs involved in DUI accidents
According to an investigative news team that examined data from DUI accidents from the past five years, drugs accounted for the majority of those incidents. Drugged driving caused fatalities two or even three times as often when compared to drunk driving.
There was a mixture of drug types as well: The investigation uncovered that some of the drugs used by drivers were illegal while others were legally prescribed for medical reasons. However, upon looking at all the evidence, the investigators concluded that two drugs were most widely used in fatal DUI accidents: marijuana and meth.
One study explored data from fatal accidents between 2000 and 2019 and saw that the drug used most often was marijuana. Meth and opioids were also factors. The researchers concluded that the number of drugged drivers involved in fatal crashes was on the rise.
Staying sober is the best way to avoid a serious car accident and DUI charge.