Drugged driving among US adults: Results from the 2016–2018 national survey on drug use and health

Andrew Yockey, Rebecca Vidourek, Keith King

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Introduction: Drugged driving, the act of driving while under the influence of one or more illicit substances, remains a critical problem needing to be addressed. The present study sought to analyze risk factors associated with past-year driving under the influence of alcohol and marijuana among a national sample of U.S. adults. Method: Pooled data from the 2016–2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health were analyzed among 124,466 adults ages 18 years or older. Results: Weighted logistic regression analyses revealed that 8.52% of adults drove under the influence of alcohol in the past year and 4.49% of adults drove under the influence of marijuana in the past year. Of concern, compared to heterosexuals, greater than 1 in 10 sexual minorities drove under the influence of alcohol in the past year. Moreover, a sizeable percentage of adults used other drugs while under the influence of alcohol including inhalants (70.3%), cocaine (68.9%), and hallucinogens (63.7%). Moreover, a great percentage of adults (53.4%) reported using methamphetamine while also under the influence of marijuana. Practical Applications: We believe our findings can inform harm reduction efforts and prevention messaging surrounding the dangers of drugged driving.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)8-13
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of Safety Research
Volume75
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2020

Keywords

  • Driving
  • Harm reduction
  • Substance use

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