Drivers who cause deadly two-vehicle car accidents in Florida and across the U.S. are much more likely to test positive for prescription opioid use, according to a recent study published in JAMA Network Open. One of the study's co-authors said that the findings show America's opioid crisis is impacting traffic safety.
Researchers analyzed crash data from 18,321 fatal two-vehicle accidents listed in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, which is maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's National Center for Statistics. They found that the drivers who were blamed for causing the wrecks were almost twice as likely to test positive for opioids and alcohol as those who were not at fault. They also found that 7.1% of drivers who caused deadly crashes tested positive for opioids in 2017. In comparison, just 2% tested positive in 1993. The study additionally found that failure to stay in one's lane was the most common driver error leading to these fatal crashes.