Too high to drive.

• Author: Tiegen, Anne
• Position: TRENDS & TRANSITIONS - Drug abuse and traffic accidents - Brief article

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Thirty percent of all drivers who were killed in car crashes in California in 2010 tested positive for drugs.

In the same year, state police in Michigan reported drunken driving deaths decreased slightly, but drugged driving deaths increased. (The state police, however, believe increased testing for drugs in recent years affected the results.)

Nationally, about 68 percent of drivers killed in accidents are tested for drugs, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

State lawmakers are increasingly aware of and concerned about the issue, leading to more interest in legislation affecting drugged driving and testing requirements.

Under implied consent laws, police are allowed to test suspected impaired drivers for the presence of alcohol or drugs at some point in the investigation. All states allow testing of a suspects' blood, and all but nine...