Watch UR BAC: If you feel different, you drive different

This Independence Day, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), TexasA&M AgriLife Extension, and Watch UR BAC are reminding drivers about the deadly consequences of drug-impaired driving. If your Fourth of July holiday plans include using drugs, plan for a sober driver to get you home safely. Remember: If You Feel Different, You Drive Different.

Violating Texas’s drug-impaired driving laws can be costly.

Many people believe that being high doesn’t affect driving abilities, but they are wrong. It has been proven that marijuana can slow reaction times, impair cognitive performance, and make it more difficult for drivers to keep a steady position in their lane.

Those who plan to use drugs should not drive. Even over the counter and prescription medications can have impairing effects. Drivers should secure a designated sober driver or call a taxi or rideshare for a sober ride home.

If a driver finds they are unable to drive, they should give their keys to a sober driver, so that person can get them home safely, according to Ravonne McCray, Watch UR BAC program manager. When a friend has been drinking and is considering driving, friends should be proactive — take away the keys and help them get a sober ride home.

If anyone spots a drunk driver, contact your local law enforcement agency. For more information on impaired driving, visit www.nhtsa.gov/ risky-driving/drug-impaireddriving.