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Keith E. Saylor, PhD; Robert L. DuPont, MD
Institute for Behavior and Health, Inc Rockville, Md

Henry Brown, LCSW
Washington County Health Department Hagerstown, Md

JAMA. 1992;267(5):652.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.

—Driving under the influence of drugs other than or in combination with alcohol poses a serious threat to highway safety. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration studies have shown that between 14% and 50% of impaired drivers whose blood alcohol concentration was below the legal limit tested positive for drugs, including marijuana, diazepam, barbiturates, and cocaine.¹ For drivers involved in serious accidents, recent marijuana use has been reported in over 30% of the samples tested.^2,3 One study of fatally injured drivers detected one or more drugs in 81% of the sample; a New York City study reported 25% of fatally injured drivers had used cocaine prior to their accidents.^4,5 Generally, in these studies, as the seriousness of the accident increased, the likelihood for drug use in combination with alcohol increased.

Legislation and public policy that primarily focus on the hazards of drunk driving have . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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