Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Mr. GRASSLEY:

S. 2480. A bill to amend title 23, United States Code, to research and prevent drug impaired driving; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, every half hour, somewhere in this country somebody is killed as a result of an alcohol related traffic accident. This is a sobering statistic. Thanks in part to a massive national response, nearly 1.5 million people are arrested and taken off the road each year for driving under the influence of alcohol, undoubtedly saving lives. But, there is an equally dangerous and potentially devastating problem lurking on our Nation's highways that is going largely undetected.

In 2002, nearly 11 million people drove under the influence of illegal drugs, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health Report. While the effort to reduce drunk driving is making progress, those using illegal drugs like marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, and opiates continue to get behind the wheel, putting each of us at risk everyday.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drugs are used by approximately 10 to 22 percent of all drivers involved in fatal motor vehicle crashes. In 2003, a study conducted at the Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland Hospital in Baltimore found that testing for alcohol alone would have identified less than 30 percent of all the substance abusing drivers admitted to the trauma unit as a result of a motor vehicle accident. Drugged driving is clearly a serious problem.

While it is illegal in all 50 States to drive a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs, there is no consistency in the way the States approach drug impaired drivers. In fact, existing laws often hinder the prosecution of drugged drivers. Adding further difficulty, there currently is no road side test to detect the presence of a controlled substance in a driver's body.

In response to these challenges, today I am pleased to be joined by Senator FEINSTEIN in introducing legislation designed to encourage States to develop and carry out drug impaired driving traffic safety programs. By adopting a model statute, States become eligible for grants that would assist drivers in need of drug treatment, as well as grants that would enhance the training of law enforcement and prosecutors. Furthermore, in an effort to keep drug impaired drivers off the road, passage of this legislation will advance the research and development of a roadside testing mechanism.

Clearly there is a need to strengthen efforts to identify, prosecute, and treat drugged drivers. Just as the coordinated efforts to prevent drunk driving have saved lives, so too can the devastating consequences of drugged driving be prevented. I encourage my colleagues to join in support of this legislation.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.