Innocent people are Killed and Seriously Injured by Drug (and Drink) Drivers, but ‘They Don’t Count’
In the realm of road safety statistics, there’s a hidden tragedy that often goes unnoticed: the innocent victims of drug and drink driving incidents. These casualties are lost in the shuffle of general statistics, their stories untold and their deaths uncounted in the specific category they belong to, that should be ‘death by drug driver’. This oversight has far-reaching consequences, affecting both our understanding of the problem and our ability to address it effectively.
The Invisible Victims
When a drug (or drink) driver is involved in a fatal accident, the aftermath is complex. If the driver dies, they may or may not undergo toxicology screening by the coroner, depending on whether the responding police officers suspected drug use. How can they, they are not allowed to test the cadavers. If the driver’s or the other vehicles airbags go off, the police have to pass them to the ambulance and hospital for assessment, again restricting their ability to drug screen the driver at fault.
But what about the innocent victims?
Whether they’re Killed, Seriously Injured or just a Minor injury, their cases aren’t categorized as “due to drug driving.” Instead, they become lost as part of the broader Road Traffic Collision statistics – just another one of the 1,630 killed and 30,000 seriously injured on UK roads last year.
The Consequences of Undercounting
This statistical oversight has real-world implications. Without accurate data, the true scale of the drug driving problem remains hidden. As a result, MP’s aren’t alerted by civil servants to the urgency of the situation, and then civil servants lack the direction from above and impetus to implement available and proven solutions – solutions that other countries have utilized successfully and for many years.
The Consequences
It’s time we counted every victim of drug and drink driving, innocent or otherwise. By acknowledging the true scope of the problem and implementing more effective testing and prosecution methods, we can honor those who have been lost or injured and prevent significant numbers of future tragedies.
The solution is within our reach – we just need the will to grasp it.