A study published in JAMA Network Open indicates that opioid use is a factor in many fatal two-vehicle accidents. Drivers in Tennessee should be aware of the risks posed by others on the road, as increased awareness can improve safety. According to the study, drivers who caused accidents in which one or more people were killed were nearly twice as likely to test positive for the presence of opioids as motorists who were deemed not to be at-fault.
The most common mistake cited for accidents, regardless of the presence of opioids, was a driver veering from his or her lane. The researchers involved with the study relied on data gathered and maintained by the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, which keeps data on all U.S. crashes that result in fatalities. The researchers looked at data from 18,321 two-vehicle crashes that resulted in at least one death. The most prevalent error in that data was failure to keep in lane.