California’s car culture comes with a deadly side effect: impaired driving. While public awareness and enforcement have long targeted alcohol, experts say drugged driving—whether from cannabis, prescription medications, or other substances—is quietly becoming a growing threat on the state’s roads.
Fatal crash data highlights the trend. In 2018, 42% of drivers killed in car accidents who were tested showed drugs in their system. By 2021, that figure had climbed to more than 50%. Safety advocates say the problem is often overlooked because many assume that prescribed medications are harmless or that cannabis, being natural, is safe to use before driving.
The reality, experts emphasize, is that drugs can impair judgment, slow reaction times, and reduce coordination—much like alcohol. With vehicles traveling at high speeds, the consequences can be catastrophic. Advocates are calling for more education campaigns, similar to the push that Mothers Against Drunk Driving led decades ago, which helped change both laws and social attitudes around drinking and driving.
Some recent campaigns have begun introducing terms like “buzzed driving” to include impairment from drugs as well as alcohol, but critics argue the message isn’t reaching far enough. They say schools, community programs, and public safety initiatives must emphasize that if a driver is altered in any way—by alcohol, cannabis, or medication—they should not get behind the wheel.
By: NBC Palm Springs
September 22, 2025
