Teens and community members rally against drugged driving in San Marcos. Photo courtesy of San Marcos Youth Advocacy Coalition
SAN MARCOS–Following a city proclamation proclaiming December as“Drugged Driving Awareness Month” in San Marcos, teens held a rally to raise awareness of the public safety risks associated with driving under the influence of alcohol, prescription and over-the-counter medications and marijuana.
The rally was held on the northeast and northwest corners of San Marcos Boulevard and Knoll Road in San Marcos. Twenty-six participants plus five law enforcement officers (Sheriff’s deputies and CHP officers), and San Marcos Vice Mayor Rebecca Jones turned out for the rally.
Rally participants urged people not to drive under the influence of impairing substances, and to call 911 to report drivers who may be under the influence.
San Marcos is the first San Diego County city to take an official step to stop drugged driving. San Marcos Youth Advocacy Coalition, which led the rally, wants to ensure that community members are aware of the issue before they attend any New Year’s parties.
The teens’ efforts impressed UCSD researchers so much that they recently invited coalition members to tour a university-run drugged driving lab. The first teens to do so, the youth tested a driving simulator used to study marijuana’s effect on driving skills and tried their skills on iPad-based cognitive tests designed to help law enforcement officers determine whether a driver is impaired.
Drugged driving is a major threat to everyone’s safety. In 2013, statistics showed that 32 percent of all drivers killed in motor vehicle crashes, were tested positive for legal and/or illegal drugs, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety.
