Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 103 Part 2.djvu/831

 PUBLIC LAW 101-212 —DEC. 11, 1989 103 STAT. 1841 Public Law 101-212 101st Congress Joint Resolution To designate the week of December 10, 1989, through December 16, 1989, as Dec. 11, 1989 "National Drunk and Drugged Driving Awareness Week". FHJ Res 429] Whereas traffic accidents cause more violent deaths in the United States than any other cause, approximately 47,000 in 1988; Whereas traffic accidents cause thousands of serious injuries in the United States each year; Whereas 37.5 percent of all drivers fatally injured in 1988 had blood alcohol concentrations above the legal limit of.10; Whereas the United States Surgeon General has reported that life expectancy has risen for every age group over the past 75 years except for Americans 15 to 24 years old, whose death rate, the leading cause of which is drunk driving, is higher now than it was 20 years ago; Whereas the total societal cost of drunk driving has been estimated at more than $26,000,000,000 per year, which does not include the human suffering that can never be measured; Whereas there are increasing reports of driving after drug use and accidents involving drivers who have used marijuana or other illegal drugs; Whereas driving after the use of therapeutic drugs, either alone or in combination with alcohol, contrary to the advice of physician, pharmacist, or manufacturer, may create a safety hazard on the roads; Whereas more research is needed on the effect of drugs, either alone or in combination with alcohol, on driving ability and the in- cidence of traffic accidents; Whereas an increased public awareness of the gravity of the prob- lem of drugged driving may warn drug users to refrain from driving and may stimulate interest in increasing necessary re- search on the effect of drugs on driving ability and the incidence of traffic accidents; Whereas the public, particularly through the work of citizens groups, is demanding a solution to the problem of drunk and drugged driving; Whereas the best defense against the drunk or drugged driver is the use of safety belts and consistent safety belt usage by all drivers and passengers would save as many as 10,000 lives each year; Whereas an increase in the public awareness of the problem of drunk and drugged driving may contribute to a change in society's attitude toward the drunk or drugged driver and help sustain current efforts to develop comprehensive solutions at the State and local levels; Whereas the Christmas and New Year holiday period, with more drivers on the roads and an increased number of social functions, is a particularly appropriate time to focus national attention on this critical problem;

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