High Risk Behavior - Target Zero

1 high Risk Behavior Driver Behavior is a factor in a majority of fatal and serious injury collisions. It is clear that affecting driver decisions is a key part of improving traffic safety, whether it is by changing behaviors through education and enforcement, or minimizing their effects through engineering. Some behaviors have been known for decades as being dangerous, such as speeding or driving under the influence of alcohol or while positive for drugs. Others are relatively newly recognized, such as distracted driving and drowsy driving. This chapter will evaluate which behaviors are likely to result in serious and fatal collisions, and how to address those behaviors and their effects to get to Target Zero. Impairment Involved Over half 756, or 57% of all traffic deaths from 2012 2014 involved alcohol impairment or positive drug results on behalf of an involved passenger vehicle driver, pedestrian, bicyclist, motorcyclist, or heavy truck driver.

2 Impairment is the most common factor in roadway fatalities. There were 1,366 serious injuries (22% of all) under those conditions during the same time period a figure that is likely underreported. Key Facts Data for 2012 2014 show that 25% of drivers involved in fatal crashes were drug positive and 19% were impaired by alcohol; 8% of drivers were both drug positive and impaired by alcohol. Collectively, impaired drivers accounted for 673. fatalities and 1,289 serious injuries in our state between 2012 and 2014. Among impairment involved fatalities, 13%. were pedestrians or bicyclists who were alcohol impaired or drug positive, accounting for a total of 99 fatalities. Recently, the National Traffic Safety Board (NTSB). has recommended that the per se BAC limit be lowered to .05 because most drivers begin to have difficulties with depth perception and other visual functions at that level.

3 They believe if all 50. states adopted this standard, 1,000 lives could be saved nationwide annually. 38 high Risk Behavior : Impairment Involved Priority Priority Priority 1 2 3. Overview Washington has been combating impairment in motor vehicles crashes for decades and has made significant progress. Despite this, impairment continues to be the main factor in fatal crashes in Washington. From 2012 2014, there were 756 fatalities involving impairment (57%), and 1,366 serious injuries involving impairment (22%). Fatalities involving impairment decreased seven percent, compared with 2009 2011. During this same time period, serious injuries involving impairment decreased by 15%. What's New Target Zero has expanded the definition of impairment from just impaired drivers: it now contains impairment on behalf of all people involved in a crash, including pedestrians and bicyclists. Partners widened this definition to draw attention to impairment among non-drivers, and to help create policies and strategies to help prevent those crashes.

4 Washington State voters approved Initiative 502, which legalized the growing, sale, and use of recreational marijuana. There are currently over 200 retail stores for recreational marijuana in the state. Partners created The Impaired Driving Work Group to consider recommendations for smarter and tougher impaired driving laws for the Washington State Legislature. The Work Group was convened to discuss technical corrections to the DUI statute, in preparation for the 2016 and 2017 legislative sessions. The state created a 24/7 sobriety monitoring program to provide an alternative to incarceration for impaired drivers. The program ensures that participants are monitored and tested for drug and alcohol use so they Note: Alcohol impairment and drug-positivity is significantly underreport- ed as a factor in serious injury crashes in Washington State. remain sober and are following court-directed activity.

5 Continued on next page Washington State Strategic Highway Safety Plan 2016: Target Zero 39. What's New, continued Data for 2012 2014 show that: Law enforcement officers are now required || 25% of drivers in fatal crashes were drug positive. to arrest any person who is driving under the || 19% were impaired by alcohol. influence and has at least one prior impaired || 8% of drivers were both impaired by alcohol and positive for drugs. driving offense in the previous ten years. Judges are then required to establish pre-trial release Drug positive driver-involved fatalities first became more frequent than alcohol impaired driver-involved fatalities in 2010. Among the impairment-involved Behavior high Risk conditions that include one of the following: fatalities in 2012 2014, 657 deaths were due to an impaired driver, while the The installation of an ignition interlock remaining 99 deaths involved impaired pedestrians or bicyclists.

6 Device. Participation in the 24/7 sobriety System-wide approach leads to decline in impaired driving monitoring program. Washington's system-wide approach to addressing impaired driving has led to: The filing of a sworn statement with the court that they will not operate a motor || Comprehensive ignition interlock laws. vehicle without an ignition interlock device. || Better law enforcement and prosecutor training. || More DUI courts. || Innovative, targeted, full-time DUI enforcement. Much of the decline over the past decades can be attributed to aggressive campaigns to change the public perception of the acceptability and Target Zero impairment data now consequences of drinking and driving. These have been coupled with tougher includes pedestrians and bicyclists laws, from the 1968 voter-passed implied consent law to the 1999 law lowering the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) per se limit to.

7 08. The state In this edition of Target Zero, we have expanded has imposed ignition interlock requirements on all DUI offenders, and applied the definition of impairment to include impaired tougher sanctions for repeat and high BAC offenders. This includes the 2007. bicyclists and pedestrians. Among impairment- felony DUI law that applies to those offenders with four prior DUI convictions involved fatalities from 2012 2014, 13% (99) were within ten years. Strict penalties are also imposed for drivers under age 21 who impaired pedestrian or bicyclist fatalities. drink and drive as part of the Zero Tolerance statute. Impairment among pedestrians and bicyclists is not a criminal offense. Further, the consequences Despite these intensive efforts, impaired driving remains a challenging issue for of walking or bicycling while impaired should both Washington State and for the nation. not be death or serious injury.

8 The pedestrian Washington law has a .08 BAC level. This is the level at which drivers in and bicyclist chapters explore ways to address safety concerns for all pedestrians and bicyclists, Washington are guilty per se (no further proof needed) of the crime of DUI. including those who are impaired. However, this threshold might not be low enough. 40 high Risk Behavior : Impairment Involved A rigorous analysis by Peck et al (2009) found that drivers ages 21 The impacts of Initiative 1183 (privatized sales of hard liquor in and above with a BAC of .07 are 39% more likely to be involved in Washington as of June, 2012) and Initiative 502 (legalized the sale a traffic crash than drivers with a BAC of 0. Furthermore, drivers and distribution of marijuana in Washington as of 2013) continue under the age of 21 (who are not legally allowed to drink at all) with to bring new challenges. The number of stores with hard liquor a BAC of.

9 07 are 400% more likely to crash than young drivers with a licenses increased from 328 in 2010 to more than 1,400 in 2015. BAC of 0. Marijuana is easily accessible with over 200 retail stores statewide and more licenses are being sold monthly. The state established a Behavior Recently, NTSB recommended the per se BAC limit be lowered high Risk per se limit of 5 nanograms of active THC per milliliter of blood as to .05 because most drivers begin to have difficulties with depth the standard for impairment by marijuana. Currently, a blood draw perception and other visual functions at that level. All 50 states is required to prove impairment by marijuana. Researchers are currently have a .08 per se limit; NTSB believes if all states adopted working on a breath or saliva test. Partners need to formulate new the .05 standard, it would save 1,000 lives nationwide annually. strategies and policies to address these changes.

10 WTSC marijuana study shows the number of THC-positive drivers involved in fatal crashes increased In response to legalized marijuana in Washington State, the WTSC partnered with the WSP Toxicology Lab to review detailed toxicology results on drivers involved in fatal crashes. Although the FARS database collects information on drug results from toxicology testing, the existing code set does not distinguish between delta-9 THC (the psychoactive substance shown to cause driver impairment) and the inactive metabolite of marijuana that may be detected in the body for up to 30 days. This detailed marijuana information was combined with the existing detailed FARS information to create a one-of-a-kind data set that is currently being used to analyze and monitor the impact of legalized marijuana in Washington State. Among the findings: || The number of THC-positive drivers involved in fatal crashes increased.