The Boston Herald reports that federal agencies, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are developing new rules to help reduce driving under the influence of drugs.
The article notes that unlike drunken drivers, whose blood alcohol level can be determined through a breathalyzer and other tests, there isn’t yet a similar standard blood, urine, or saliva test to determine a driver’s drug level.
A 2007 national NHTSA survey found that 11% of daytime drivers tested positive for drugs, while 14.4% of nighttime drivers were drug-positive. The drivers were tested for prescription and over-the-counter medication as well as for illegal drugs.
