Every number reflects a person, a family aPected, and a community touched by the consequences of driving while impaired by drugs. These statistics are not abstract. They show what can happen when someone underestimates the impact that cannabis, prescription medication or other impairing substances can have when driving. National data show that drug-impaired driving is becoming more common. According to the National Highway Traffic Association (NHTSA), the percentage of fatally injured drivers who tested positive for drugs has steadily increased over the past decade. As more substances are used legally and medically, drug impairment is playing a growing role in serious and fatal crashes on our roads. A major challenge is perception. Many people believe that if a substance is legal, it’s probably safe to drive on. That’s not true. Cannabis impairs coordination, reaction time, judgement, lane tracking, and peripheral vision. Prescription medications such as sedatives, pain medications, opioids, and sleep aids can cause drowsiness, slowed reactions, and confusion. Stimulants can cause overconfidence. Legal use does not mean legal to drive. If a substance aPects your ability to drive, it is unsafe — and illegal — to get behind the wheel. Illicit drugs, including methamphetamine and cocaine, also interfere significantly with the physical and cognitive skills needed to drive safely. NMDOT uses crash and drug-involved data, analyzed in partnership with research institutions, to guide strategies that encourage safer choices. By recognizing the human stories behind the statistics, we can better focus on what drives behavior and how decisions, made at the right time, can prevent harm.