Since May 14, 1988, when 27 people died in the deadliest alcohol-impaired driving crash

in U.S. history, the country has had over 300,000 lives lost, millions injured and 200 law enforcement officers killed, all due to impaired driving.

Since 1988, there have been significant accomplishments such as the percentage of impaired driving fatalities to all highway fatalities dropping from 41% in 1988 to 31% in 2010. Also, the total number of impaired driving fatalities in 1988 was 18,611; in 2010 it was at 10,228.

Mr. Tucker from ONDCP observed that it is just as dangerous as alcohol-impaired driving,

citing such facts as:

Approximately one in eight weekend, night time drivers tested positive for illicit drugs in 2007.

In 2009, 1 in 3 drivers killed in a motor vehicle crash with a known drug test result tested positive for an illegal drug.

Cannabinoids were reported in almost half (43%) of the fatally injured drivers aged 24 or younger who tested positive for drugs.

Source Mr. Benjamin Tucker, Deputy Director of State, Local, and Tribal Affairs for the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). : NADCP 18th Annual Training Conference. DWI Courts Vo.5 Issue 4 July 2012