A New Take on DUI
When most people hear the dreaded words Driving under the Influence they see dollar signs because of the expenses involved anymore. Organizations like M.A.D.D. and S.A.D.D. have accomplished a terrific job of heightening awareness across the nation on driving under the influence of alcohol. States like New Mexico have come the furthest but only because it seemed like they were a safe haven for drunk drivers. Today there is a new problem!
There are a growing number of “Dwi” driving collisions involving drivers that have had no alcohol. The new risk is the prescription sleep drug Ambien, sleep disorders such as sleep apnea and drivers “sleep driving.” The risk they pose is every bit as meaningful as an intoxicated driver and maybe just as common.
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One of the unspoken connected problems of drunk driving is drivers falling asleep while intoxicated. Now there is a new epidemic sweeping the nation in the form of “sleepwalking” drivers-driving under the influence of the most popular prescription sleep medication in the U.S. - Ambien.
Drivers who are unaware they are asleep at the wheel are a rising hazard on U.S highways according to a recent NY times article. In Washington State alone in 2005, for example, 78 impaired drivers were arrested, up from 56 the previous year, with Ambien in their bloodstream. According to the Times article, ten state toxicology labs that test for the presence of the drug rate it as one of the top ten found in impaired drivers yet most states do not even test for the drug. Ambien had 26.6 million prescriptions last year with $2.2 billion in sales according to the article.
According to the report, following their arrests many of the drivers claim to have no memory of getting behind the steering. In many of the cases the drug was taken incorrectly either as an overdose or in addition to other drugs such as alcohol-HELLO!
Bizarre behavior generally accompanies the misuse of the drug. The label warns of combining the drug with alcohol and possible sleepwalking side effects. Those warnings apparently have been relatively ineffective because broad misuse continues.
Additionally, sleep apnea and other sleep disorders which continue to grow in the U.S. provide another source of drivers falling asleep at the steering. A study showed that people with sleep apnea were seven times more likely to have multiple car accidents.
So it’s not just your alcohol Dui any more. Drugs, legal and illegal, and a host of sleeping disorders are turning the streets into a nightmare for drivers falling asleep at the wheel all across the land. There are a variety of devices that can keep drivers awake! Look here for more information about Drunk driving in any state that isn’t caused by alchohol www.myduiassistance.com
A New Take on DUI
For more info about Drunk driving in any state that isn’t caused by alchohol reference here www.myduiassistance.com
Also for specific Driving under the influence legal help or to find the right lawyer look here www.myduiassistance.com