Date
December 13, 2023
Event Type
Featured Events
December 13, 2023 | 3:00 p.m. Eastern | Virtual
Join Abbott in recognizing National Impaired Driving Prevention Month and participate in an interactive discussion on how to improve practices to reduce preventable fatalities and create safer roads in 2024 and beyond.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, motor vehicle fatalities increased at such a dramatic rate that it led the U.S. Department of Transportation to declare it a “national crisis.” A significant portion of the increase was attributable to upticks in impaired driving. In 2021, alcohol-impaired driving crashes increased by 14% claiming 13,384 lives and accounting for 31% of all motor vehicle fatalities. In that same year, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) revealed that 13.5 million people drove under the influence of alcohol in the past year and 11.7 million drove under the influence of illicit drugs (including cannabis).
To better understand impaired driving, it is necessary to increase and improve drug testing. Abbott has convened toxicology, enforcement, and traffic safety experts to discuss current and emerging trends in impaired driving cases as well as the “why” behind polysubstance use and the implications of failing to test beyond alcohol. They will share priority countermeasures needed for a comprehensive drug-impaired driving strategy and identify current DUI/D data gaps that can be addressed through enhanced drug testing.
Introductory Remarks
- GHSA CEO Jonathan Adkins
Panelists
- Darrin Grondel, Senior Vice President of Traffic Safety, Responsibility.org
- Curt Harper, Chief Toxicologist, Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences
- Ryan Smith, Transportation Specialist, National Transportation Safety Board