NTSB issues recommendations to reduce impaired driving
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released several new recommendations as part of a continuing emphasis on substance-impaired driving, which it calls, “the biggest killer on our roadways.” The recommendations focus on three areas: better alcohol testing, better drug testing and identifying the “place of last drink.”
Although over 10,000 lives are lost each year in substance impaired driving crashes, some states provide little or no data to the national calculation. Further, while there is significant evidence that illegal drugs, over-the-counter and prescription medications are playing a greater role in roadway crashes, there are no standards or testing criteria for these substances. To address these shortcomings, the NTSB recommends that states develop better blood alcohol concentration testing and reporting guidelines; agree on a common standard of practice for drug toxicology testing; and increase their collection, documentation and reporting of test results.