Drugs and Driving on the Rise in Houston and Nationally

Although driving under the influence of alcohol has decreased

, driving under the influence of drugs is on the rise. According to the Houston Chronicle, Harris County officials say that drug-impaired driving cases, which include both illegal drugs and/or prescription drugs, have risen dramatically in the past 10 years.

Recently, the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration performed a survey in which over 9000 drivers, including some in Texas, were randomly tested for drugs. The study found that 16.3% of nighttime weekend drivers had over-the-counter and illegal drugs in their systems. The results of the NHTSA study were confirmed here in Houston during a no-refusal enforcement night. Houston Police discovered that 60% of the 700 blood tests taken were positive for drugs other than alcohol.

In order to combat this problem, 24 agencies in the Houston area have police officers who have undergone training to become drug-recognition experts. These experts can determine what category of drug a driver has taken after being arrested on suspicion of DWI. Additionally, a new state law went into effect last year requiring mandatory blood testing in certain cases of suspected driving under the influence - such as when the driver has 2 or more prior DWI's, the driver has a minor under the age of 15 in the car, or the driver causes a fatality or injury.

You can read the full Houston Chronicle article here: www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/chronicle/7197716.html.

Hiring the right personal injury attorney can be one of the most important decisions a person makes. But before you hire a personal injury attorney, speak to an insurance adjuster or sign any papers, you should read The Truth About Lawyers: An Insider's Guide to Hiring the Best Personal Injury Lawyer for Your Case.This helpful guide was written by Board Certified Personal Injury attorney John Neese, and contains the information a person needs in order to find and hire the best personal injury attorney for their case. Plus, this guide contains The 5 Trick Questions You Should Ask Any Personal Injury Attorney Before Hiring Them.Visit www.johnneeselaw.com or www.thetruthaboutlawyers.com to order your free copy of The Truth About Lawyers.

Drugs and Driving on the Rise in Houston and Nationally

By: Campbell.Grenier

POST COMMENT

Medical Marijuana : A Quick Guide for 2010 Why Choose Herbal Pain Relievers Over Prescribed Drugs? 5 Unfortunate Effects of Medical Malpractice Phlebotomy Technician Training For A In Demand Medical Career Anthroposophical Medicine Healing A unique analgesic, ULTRAM is better than most Medical Loans for Cosmetic Surgery - Enhance Your Looks Medical Transcription Industry Poised For Growth Medical Malpractice Lawyer - How To Find A Right One? Aspirin drug Confront An Emergency Medical Incident With Emergency Medical Alarms Do You Want To Become A Future Medical Transcriptionist? An Overview of medical device investing