Boston Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Blog
Drivers have become aware of dangers associated with drunk driving thanks to decades of education and advocacy by groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Unfortunately, while the DUI death rate due to impaired drivers has gone down, the number of people who drive under the influence of drugs is rising. Driving while drugged is often just as dangerous (or more dangerous) and just as illegal as driving while under the influence of alcohol. Unfortunately, motorists underestimate the risks and aren’t aware of how impairing it can be to operate a motor vehicle after consuming prescription or non-prescription medications.
As medical marijuana legalization moves through more states in the U.S. and as baby boomers age and prescription drug use becomes ever-more common, lawmakers are grappling with how to establish and enforce DUI laws for narcotics use. However, motorists need to make a commitment now to staying sober and not getting behind the wheel when they’ve either drank too much or consumed drugs that cause impairment. To help encourage motorists to understand risks of impaired driving and to make the necessary commitment to staying sober, Ford has created a drugged driving suit.
A Drugged Driving Suit Aims to Illustrate the Problems Associated with Drugged Driving
According to CNET, Ford previously had created a suit designed to show people what it was like to drive drunk. The suits the company created imposed limitations on individuals similar to those they would experience when drunk or high. The wearers of the suits ideally develop a keen understanding of how affected they would be by alcohol or drug use and of how their driving would suffer as a result. This knowledge should translate into a reluctance to break the law and operate a vehicle while under the influence.
The drugged driving suit tries to be as realistic as possible in mimicking the experience of being on a wide variety of different controlled substances, including both marijuana and cocaine. The system requires the user to wear special glasses, which create tunnel vision, and to wear headphones that can play sounds which cause a distraction.
Bandages and weights built into the drugged driving suit also aim to show motorists how their control over their body is affected by impairment. The weights and bandages cause the wearer of the suit to feel unbalanced, while also slowing down the individual’s limbs. Finally, there is even the inclusion of a tremor generator in the suit, which causes the hand of the wearer to be shaky.
Test drivers from Ford tried out the suit an were not able to handle all of the different stimuli and sensory issues. The fact even these professionals were unable to overcome drugged driving challenges suggests no one can effectively drive after consuming intoxicating substances.
Those who are harmed as a result of motorists who make the careless choice to drive anyway after taking drugs should consult with an experienced attorney for help bringing a DUI case.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a Boston drunk driving accident, call for a free and confidential appointment at (617) 777-7777.
More Blog Entries:
Report: Massachusetts is Mid-Level on Drunk Driving Prevention, June 19, 2015, Boston Drunk Driving Injury Lawyer Blog