When people think of driving under the influence in New Jersey, most think only about alcohol. Impaired driving, however, also includes people who drive while under the influence of drugs. Drugs that can impair driving include both illegal ones as well as certain legally prescribed and over the counter medications.
Impaired driving is a national public health issue, resulting in thousands of accidents and fatalities every year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a person dies in America every 51 minutes due to the actions of impaired drivers. Additionally, millions are arrested for driving under the influence each year, and thousands more are seriously injured in accidents resulting from drunk and impaired driving.
In 2010, 1.4 million people were arrested for drunk driving. This number accounts for only 1 percent of all those who have self-reported driving under the influence. When people engage in such reckless behavior, they are risking not only their own lives, but those of everyone else around them while they are driving on the nation’s roadways.
Despite the huge risks posed by driving under the influence, people continue to do it. Those who do so and cause car wrecks may face both criminal charges as well as civil liability. People who are seriously injured in an accident caused by the reckless and negligent actions of an impaired driver may be able to hold the driver responsible for their wrongful conduct by filing personal injury lawsuits against them. Injured people or the families of those killed by impaired drivers may benefit by consulting with a personal injury attorney. Victims and families are often left with significant financial losses in addition to the emotional pain they experience as a result of an impaired driving accident, and they may be able to be compensated.
Source: CDC, “Impaired Driving: Get the Facts“, November 14, 2014