According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 2,597 people were killed in United States traffic accidents in December 2010. Of those, 775 deaths involved alcohol-impaired drivers. A 2006 study by the NHTSA estimated that there is one drunk driving fatality in the United States every 30 minutes.
Coweta County's Driving Under the Influence Laws are complex. Coweta County DUI injury attorney Shane Smith can sort through the intermingled laws that potentially create complications in a DUI case.
According to a recent study in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, some prescription drugs used to treat anxiety, depression and other mental disorders can increase auto accident risks. The risk increase was so apparent that the researchers warned doctors that they should alert patients not to drive if they are prescribed the medications.
The researchers studied psychotropic drugs used to treat depression and anxiety as these drugs alter brain function. The desired effect also led to a side effect, that a patient would be unable to react to avoid an auto accident.
Earlier studies found links between psychotropic drugs and auto accidents. These focused on specific drugs like diazepam (Valium), but current sleep-related drugs like Ambien, Lunesta, and Sonata also increase auto accident risk.
If you have questions about Coweta County DUI laws, get the answers in Coweta County DUI injury attorney Shane Smith's book, I Was Hit By a Drunk Driver: What Do I Do Next? Contact Shane Smith Law to schedule a free legal consultation.