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Overview
Impaired Driving is defined as driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, illicit drugs, and/or prescription medications. Alcohol impairment is measured by blood alcohol concentration (BAC). As the BAC level goes up in the human body, it produces effects such as loss of judgment, altered mood, decline in visual functions, and deteriorating reaction times. In Kentucky, the statutory level of per se BAC impairment is 0.08, although functional impairment can occur at a much lower BAC level.
Kentucky has been tremendously impacted by overprescribed prescription drugs and is in the throes of an opiod crisis. Morevover, the use of marijuana and methamphetamines, among other illicit drugs, has continued to plague the Commonwealth. Despite increased training, law enforcement struggles with detection of drug and polysubstance-impaired drivers.
From 2014 to 2018, impaired driving was involved in 723 fatalities on highways in Kentucky, accounting for 19 percent of all traffic fatalities. These impaired driving numbers are likely underreported in the data due to difficulties and inconsistencies in drug usage detection. |
Opportunities
Impaired Driving is 100 percent preventable. This SHSP includes multiple strategies for preventing impaired driving in Kentucky, including:
- Publicizing victim impacts in partnerships with victim advocacy organizations and survivor advocates.
- Performing targeted impaired driving enforcement campaigns, e.g., KSP's "Nighthawk."
- Continuing programs to train and certify Drug Recognition Experts (DREs), and providing Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) courses.
- Initiating and continuing programs, such as Lethal Weapon training and the Cops in Court program, that educate and train DUI focused prosecutors and law enforcement throughout the Commonwealth.
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