The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is taking measures to combat driving under the influence.
With the national opioid epidemic and marijuana legalization on the forefront in the United States, a rise in drugged driving accidents is generating a need for action.
“Nobody can solve drugged driving alone, but by sharing best practices we can begin to save lives today – we cannot afford to wait,” said Heidi King, NHTSA deputy ddministrator. “And by advancing the science and the data, we can address this problem for our communities in the future.”
NHTSA is looking to develop creative solutions to improve safety and reduce deaths caused by motor vehicle crashes. To kick this off, the agency is hosting a summit on March 15 to lead a national dialogue and call-to-action.
Key stakeholders including safety partners; state and local elected officials; data and policy experts; law enforcement and criminal justice professionals; toxicologists and drug recognition experts are invited to join the U.S. Department of Transportaion in setting a course of action and taking measurable steps to address the nation’s drugged-driving problem.
The summit will explore best practices for educating the public on the overall risk of drug-impaired driving; collecting consistent data and tracking DUIDs; testing and measuring driver impairment levels; and enforcing DUID laws, according to the NHTSA.
Additional details will be available on NHTSA.gov in the coming weeks.