"Drugged Driving" Cases on the Rise in Nevada
Although drunk driving has decreased by seventy percent over the last thirty years in the U.S., national drug czar Gil Kerlikowske warned Las Vegas law enforcement on Wednesday that drugged driving in Las Vegas is on the rise. The drugs include prescription and over-the-counter medications in addition to illegal narcotics, though the majority of drugged drivers are under the influence of marijuana.
New statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggest that one in six drivers is under the influence of drugs. Just this past week, Las Vegas Metro arrested one hundred and nineteen drivers for DUI. Last year, Steven Murray, who killed a woman in Boulder City after driving into her while being under the influence of prescription drugs, was the first person to be found guilty under Nevada’s felony DUI manslaughter law.
Kerlikowske applauded local law enforcement for their efforts to improve officer training in detecting drugged driving in Las Vegas and elsewhere. Over the last three years, state police agencies have increased their number of certified drug recognition experts by three hundred percent.
