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National Institutes of Health
Impaired Driving
Also called: Distracted driving, Drugged driving, Drunk driving
Impaired driving is dangerous and is the cause of more than half of all car crashes. It means operating a motor vehicle while
- Affected by alcohol
- Affected by illegal or legal drugs
- Too sleepy
- Distracted, such as using a cell phone or texting
- Having a medical condition which affects your driving
For your safety and the safety of others, do not drive while impaired. Have someone else drive you or take public transportation when you cannot drive. If you need to take a call or send a text message, pull over.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Start Here
- Distractions in Everyday Driving(AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety) - PDF
- Impaired Driving(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
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Learn More
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Multimedia & Cool Tools
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For group Basics
For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
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Reference Shelf
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For You
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For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
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Overviews
- Statistics and Facts about Distracted Driving(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
- Texting While Driving(Federal Communications Commission)
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Latest News
- Weekend 'Catch-Up' Sleep May Cut Young Drivers' Crash Risk(05/20/2013, HealthDay)
- Nearly Half of High Schoolers Text While Driving(05/13/2013, HealthDay)
- Fatal Crashes Involving Cellphone Use May Be Under-Reported(05/09/2013, HealthDay)
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Distracted Driving
(05/06/2013, HealthDay)
- More News on Impaired Driving
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Prevention/Screening
- Get the Keys: How You Can Intervene(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
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Specific Conditions
- Distracted Driving(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Driving After a Stroke(American Stroke Association)
- Driving and Epilepsy(Epilepsy Foundation)
- Driving When You Have Arthritis(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
- Driving When You Have Diabetes(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
- Driving When You Have Glaucoma(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
- Driving When You Have Had Seizures(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
- Driving When You Have Macular Degeneration(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
- Driving When You Have Parkinson's Disease(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
- Driving When You Have Sleep Apnea(Department of Transportation)
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Drugged Driving(National Institute on Drug Abuse)
- Also available in Spanish
- Some Medications and Driving Don't Mix(Food and Drug Administration)
- Texting on the Move(Nemours Foundation)
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Related Issues
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Older Drivers(National Institute on Aging)
- Also available in Spanish
- Road Rage Is the Wrong Way(Department of Transportation)
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Older Drivers
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Health Check Tools
- Sleeping and Driving Don't Mix: Sleep Quiz(AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety)
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Videos
- Drowsy Driving(Harvard Medical School)
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Research
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Alcohol-Related Traffic Deaths(National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
- Glaucoma-Related Vision Loss May Increase Risk for Auto Accidents(American Academy of Ophthalmology)
- Older Adults' Knowledge about Medications That Can Impact Driving(AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety) - PDF
- Why Do Many Older Persons Become Disabled in Walking and Driving?(American College of Physicians) - PDF
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Alcohol-Related Traffic Deaths
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Organizations
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Law and Policy
- Cell Phone and Texting Laws(Governors Highway Safety Association)
- Drug Impaired Driving Laws(Governors Highway Safety Association)
- Drunk Driving Laws(Governors Highway Safety Association)
- Policy Statement and Compiled FAQs on Distracted Driving(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
- Sobriety Checkpoint Laws(Governors Highway Safety Association)
- State Highway Safety Laws(Governors Highway Safety Association)
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Statistics
- 2010 Motor Vehicle Crashes: Overview(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) - PDF
- CDC Vital Signs: Drinking and Driving(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Distracted Driving 2009(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) - PDF
- Distracted Driving in the United States and Europe(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Also available in Spanish
- Drowsy Driving: Asleep at the Wheel(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Examination of Driver Distraction As Recorded in NHTSA Databases(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) - PDF
- State Estimates of Drunk and Drugged Driving(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
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Teenagers
- 5 Ways to Get Drivers to Stop Texting(Nemours Foundation)
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Awake at the Wheel(National Center on Sleep Disorders Research)
- PDF
- CDC Vital Signs: Teen Drinking and Driving - A Dangerous Mix(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Also available in Spanish
- Learning How to Drive with OI(Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation) - PDF
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Seniors
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Dementia and Driving Resource Center: Having the Conversation(Alzheimer's Association)
- JAMA Patient Page: Older Drivers and Cognitive Impairment(American Medical Association)
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Dementia and Driving Resource Center: Having the Conversation
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Patient Handouts
- Breath alcohol test
- Also available in Spanish
- Dementia and driving
- Also available in Spanish
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