Impaired Driving Prevention | AAA Northeast

 
 
 
Let's Prevent Impaired Driving!


Virtually all drivers know that drinking and driving is dangerous. Alcohol impairs judgment, vision, reaction time and muscle control – all abilities required for safe driving.

While drunk driving is on the decline, it remains an epidemic. In 2022, 13,524 Americans were killed in alcohol-related crashes – equivalent to one death every 39 minutes. According to surveys conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, drivers overwhelmingly perceive driving after drinking as very or extremely dangerous (95%) and 67% believed a driver would be likely to be apprehended by police. In total, alcohol-related crashes cost the public more than $50 billion annually.

State laws across the country criminalize this behavior. It is a crime to drive in the United States with a BAC at or above 0.08% (0.05% in Utah). Compared with sober motorists, drivers with a BAC of 0.08% are more than five times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash and four times more likely to be involved in a crash of any severity.

Drivers with a BAC below the legal limit can get a ticket if their ability to drive is impaired. And even one drink can be too much. Compared with sober motorists, drivers with a BAC of 0.05% are three times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash, and twice as likely to be involved in a crash of any severity.

Given these disheartening statistics, there is only one acceptable message for motorists: If you are driving, don’t drink and if you are drinking, don’t drive. Have a designated driver or use an alternative method of transportation.

AAA is committed to educating members about the risks of drinking and driving. Learn more

alcoholic beverage and car keys on a table

Cannabis can impair virtually every driving ability, including cognition, coordination and reaction time. Drivers impaired by cannabis are more likely to weave within or between lanes and are ill-equipped to respond to unexpected events.

But many drivers aren’t aware of the dangers of combining cannabis and driving. According to surveys conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety 70% of drivers felt driving within an hour of using cannabis to be very or extremely dangerous. Only 6% reported having engaged in the behavior in the 30 days prior to the survey.

Cannabis-impaired driving is a significant traffic safety problem – and with states continuing to legalize recreational cannabis, that problem is growing. Motorists need to understand that cannabis, like alcohol, impairs your ability to drive safely. When using cannabis, don’t drive – instead, have a designated driver or use an alternative method of transportation.

Learn more about the dangers of cannabis-impaired driving

View our Shifting Gears: The Blunt Truth About Marijuana and Driving e-learning module.

woman inspects cannabis at a dispensary counter


When people think of impaired driving, they usually think of driving under the influence of alcohol, cannabis, or illicit drugs. But prescription and over-the-counter drugs can also negatively affect a driver’s ability to operate a vehicle. Federal statistics suggest that 1 in every 10 people get behind the wheel after using prescription or over-the-counter medicines that can impair driving.

These include sleep aids, anti-anxiety drugs and even allergy medicines. But, not all prescription and over-the-counter drugs affect driving. AAA recommends being proactive by asking your doctor or pharmacist about how the medications you take could affect your ability to drive.


Learn more about prescription & over-the-counter drugs.

bottle of prescription pills

10 PREVENTION TIPS

1. Be a designated driver.

2. Educate friends and family members on the dangers of driving under the influence.

3. Provide treatment and counseling options.

4. Provide alternate transportation options such as Uber, Lyft, or a taxi service.

5. Seek or refer others struggling with alcohol or drug abuse to community assistance programs like NA, AA or other support groups.

6. Seek or refer others to a mentorship program that emphasizes accountability.

7. Correct the misperception that “everybody is drinking” or "everybody is using cannabis."

8. Teach youth ways to say no to alcohol. Use interactive teaching techniques (e.g., small-group activities, role plays, and peer leadership).

9. Never provide alcohol or cannabis to a minor.

10. Revisit the topic over the years to reinforce prevention messages.

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