Official U.S. data indicate that December is among the deadliest months for impaired driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that drunken driving rates in 2022 were at their highest in 15 years. Miguel Perez, head of biomedical engineering and mechanics at Virginia Tech and a researcher at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, says the problem remains serious and increasingly involves cannabis and other drugs.
Perez explains that impaired crashes tied to non-alcohol substances pose a detection challenge because policing and current tests are less developed for those impairments. He describes the holiday period as a "perfect storm": parties and late events increase substance use, while the recent return to standard time adds drowsiness and poorer visibility.
New vehicle technologies offer some promise—many cars now have in-vehicle sensors that alert drivers and some advanced driving systems can compensate for poor control—but these features often appear only in newer models and still leave difficult decisions to the driver. Perez argues prevention must focus on education and enforcement and on two main strategies: preventing overindulgence or making alternative transport convenient for those who do overindulge.
- Education
- Alternative-transport options
- Data-based intervention
- Vehicle technology
Source: Virginia Tech
Difficult words
- impairment — a loss or reduction of normal abilityimpairments
- drowsiness — a state of being sleepy or less alert
- visibility — how clearly a driver can see road conditions
- overindulgence — excessive use of alcohol or other substances
- enforcement — action that ensures laws and rules are followed
- alternative transport — other travel options besides driving a personal car
- sensors — devices that detect conditions or driver behavior
- compensate — to make up for a loss of control or ability
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How could education and enforcement reduce impaired driving during the holiday period?
- What practical steps could make alternative transport more convenient for people who overindulge?
- What are the main limits of relying on vehicle technology to prevent impaired driving?
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