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Prakash Chandran: According to the C D C 29 deaths a day are caused by impaired driving accidents. To put this in perspective, that is one death in the United States every 50 minutes due to a driver under the influence of an impairing substance, deaths that could have been avoided. We're gonna talk about it today with Melissa Parkinson, a registered nurse and trauma coordinator at Ridgecrest Regional.

This is the Ridgecrest Regional Hospital Podcast. My name is Prash Chandran. Melissa, thank you so much for joining us today. I really appreciate your time. Um, you know, I know we're talking about impaired driving, but a lot of people, including myself, may not understand the dynamics of what that means. Can you explain what impaired driving is?

Melissa Parkinson RN, BSN, CEN: Sure. So impaired driving. What it means is that you were operating a vehicle. It could be a boat, a motorcycle, a truck, a car under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Now, these drugs can be illegal drugs, or they can even be prescription medications. It can be anything that really. Affects your brain in a way that also affects your ability to react to things on the road and to make decisions, um, like you would if you were not under the influence.

Prakash Chandran: Okay, so it's not just with automobiles. You're saying that it also is any vehicle that you can drive, and that can be a boat that can really be anything. Is that correct?

Melissa Parkinson RN, BSN, CEN: That is correct. They also have, you could get an f u i if you were flying an airplane, um, under the influence of drugs or alcohol. So I, most people think of the roadways, but it also applies to off-road vehicles as well. So it could be a dirt bike also or an altering vehicle. , those are all under the same category for impaired driving.

Prakash Chandran: Yeah. And you know, I think people sometimes see the signs, you know, don't drink and drive, um, and they're not necessarily aware of how serious of an issue this is. So can you share some stats around, you know, the number of accidents or deaths that occurred due to impaired driving?

Melissa Parkinson RN, BSN, CEN: Sure. And like you had said earlier, It's on average about 29 to 30 people a day in the United States, which annually it's about 11,000 people via or die, um, from alcohol or impaired driving related accidents.

Prakash Chandran: Yeah, that's heartbreaking. You know, because it is something that can be avoided. Um, I wondered, can you share like the demographics or age groups, uh, of the people who are most affected or most likely to drive impaired?

Melissa Parkinson RN, BSN, CEN: Sure the number does vary, but in general, the age range, um, for most of these is, uh, the age of 21 to 40 years old. They have the highest incidences of motor vehicle crashes due to, um, being impaired drivers.

Prakash Chandran: And I imagine that the impaired driving incident spike during the holiday seasons or for particular holidays. Is that something that you see?

Melissa Parkinson RN, BSN, CEN: Yes. Um, it definitely increases the C D c, um, reports and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also reports that the time between Thanksgiving and New Year's is the deadliest time for roadways, although there is one holiday that's number one for, um, Impaired driving. Uh, death is the 4th of July.

Actually, it's this, um, most, oh, sorry Lee. It's the second most deadly day for driving with New Year's. New Year's Eve is the most deadly day for driving, and that's because more people are on the roads in that time. From Thanksgiving to the New Year's. More people traveling. They're going home to visit family.

They're attending holiday gatherings such as office parties, so, And then of course, new Year's Eve. So with more people on the roadway and more people in that celebratory mode, it just all contributes to more accidents.

Prakash Chandran: Yeah. And is there a certain like time of day, like I imagine when people get out of the bars, like there might be like an elevated spike there, but is there any data around the time of day where it's kind of the most dangerous to be out?

Melissa Parkinson RN, BSN, CEN: I haven't actually looked at data for the time of days, but I do know that typically after bars close at 2:30 AM most of the people that are on the road at that time, at least in this state, um, in California, are most people that are under the influence of alcohol.

Prakash Chandran: What about texting and driving and I, I realize that texting is not, uh, a substance that you are taking in, but certainly it must appears impairs your driving when you're texting at the same time. Does this play a role at all?

Melissa Parkinson RN, BSN, CEN: Well, sure. Um, texting while driving is a form of impaired driving. Is it, it's affecting your driving. Um, it's kind of a separate category, but often when people are under the influence and they are impaired, then they're gonna make. Poor decisions, which includes maybe picking up their phone, maybe texting more, maybe talking on their phone.

Most people who are impaired don't make good decisions, um, while they're driving.

Prakash Chandran: I imagine that most people don't intend to drive impaired, so I wonder if there's any sort of framework that people can either adhere to or, uh, check that they can do on themselves before they get in a vehicle that will prevent them from driving impaired.

Melissa Parkinson RN, BSN, CEN: Well, that's, that's kind of a good question. Um, there are basic frameworks for that. Um, the how alcohol, alcohol affects the person's body is very individual. It depends on a lot of factors like their body fat, maybe how much they've eaten in the last few hours, um, how their metabolism in their body works, how fast they metabolize alcohol. minimum that a person can have legally in their bloodstream is 0.08 of blood alcohol content. Now, there are devices that people can get and, and they do have that. They can breathe into it and see what their blood alcohol content is prior to getting into a car. But that's just telling you what the legal, um, limit is.

It doesn't really. How you're doing, you would have to do a whole sobriety type test where they have you stand and walk and turn. And there's also, um, graphs that show it, that's estimated. It's about three to four, uh, depending on your gender. And again, once again, your, your weight. Um, three to four, maybe regular beers an hour.

Should be. It takes it and then it takes, um, one to two hours to start clearing it from your system up to six hours, 12 different parts of your body. It's, it's pretty complex. So as far as, um, a framework people need to use is, the best framework is planning ahead before you're driving. and deciding who's going to either be the designated driver or using Rideshare or a taxi or some other means of getting yourself safely to and from when you've been drinking.

I know in the old days we used to think, well, they just need some coffee to sober them up, or a cold shower, which shows no evidence at all to have any effect on clearing the alcohol out of somebody's system. So the best, um, Framework to use is once you've been drinking or you've taken your some drugs, let's saving prescription drugs that can affect your driving is to just not plan on driving and not operating in some vehicles.

The problem is once you start, a person starts to drink. Um, the first stage of being, let's say intoxicated is, is, you know, you feel good. they often have because they're, they're already becoming impaired on their judgment. They may feel like they can still drive. They'll feel like, you know, I can, I haven't had that much, or I can still drive, but basically they still are impaired.

So to get around that, you have to plan ahead of time prior to that because then your judgment is gonna interfere with your decision making. Does that make sense?

Prakash Chandran: Totally, totally makes sense to me. And you're, you're right. Like I, I'm even guilty of that where I'm like, hell, you know what? I've only had one drink. I'm totally okay to drive. I think that's like a lot of people have the, oh, surely not me mentality. And um, that's kind of when it's the most dangerous because it's already par impairing your judgment.

Right.

Melissa Parkinson RN, BSN, CEN: Right? And, and it is true that one drink is not gonna put you most people into that over the legal limit. But as far as saying when it exactly is safe to drive is. There's no black and white answer to

Prakash Chandran: Yeah, because if you, if you'd see my mom after drinking one drink, you'd be like, definitely, definitely one drink is enough. . Um, Now, you know, there are gonna be people listening to this that have maybe driven impaired before even maybe have taken a risk when they know that they shouldn't have been driving.

But you know, they just needed to get home for whatever reason, and nothing's happened to them. But if they're listening to this and they want to get help, they know it's an issue. They know it keeps happening. What should they do and where should they go?

Melissa Parkinson RN, BSN, CEN: So if they're having, um, a continued, um, issue with this, like they know that they consistently drive under the influence, then um, there are places they can reach out to. Like, um, the substance abuse Mental Health Services Administration has a help line. It's 1 866 2 help. Um, there is also also the national Suicide prevention line for those who are having issues with, you know, mental issues or depression, 1 800, 2 73 talk. But basically if they know they're having issues, um, they need to reach out and talk to someone. And if. anyone has, that's listed this as a family member or a friend that they know is in danger of driving under the influence. They also can reach out to them directly and, um, talk to this person, come up with alternatives.

One of the issues is we like to say, um, talking to teens too, also about driving is, um, teens often. don't understand that other people on the road can be impaired. They're very confident in their own abilities, but they don't always consider who else is out there on the road, and especially in this time of year with people coming home from parties and so forth.

So setting up, um, guidelines and information for them about curfews not to be out certain late at night, um, so forth to be home at a certain time. Text or call when they're leaving and when they arrive. Things like that can help keep everyone safe Also,

Prakash Chandran: Absolutely. I'm so glad you were talking about frameworks that, you know, people can use to talk to loved ones about driving impaired, um, especially their children. Um, you know, I think that, uh, another. I guess related question I had. How to talk to someone that you see is about to drive, uh, when they really shouldn't be right.

Their judgment is impaired. Um, you know, one of the things I try to do is because of the ride sharing services that are available these days, whether it be Uber or Lyft, I always just say, Hey, like, let's not take a chance. You know, there's these amazing services where a car will magically appear, will pick you up, uh, they're not impaired, and they can get you home.

It's, it's no problem. And that, you know, that has seemed to work, but sometimes that's a difficult conversation to have with people. Like, are you, uh, noticing that and if so, um, is there a framework or a way that you recommend or advise people to speak to people that are about to hop in a vehicle?

Melissa Parkinson RN, BSN, CEN: Yeah, that is a tough one for sure. That's a tough one because once the person is very adamant that they will drive and somebody is recognized they shouldn't drive, it is, uh, it can become. Just a battle right there. So if they've denied, if a person is refusing any help in a, like a ride share or a cab, or even for someone else to give them a ride, then it's really a personal decision.

You have to decide. how you feel about it. Because we have to remember that it's not just a driver themselves that's in danger. It's the other people, innocent people on the road. You know, it could be a pedestrian, it could be a child riding their bicycle. Um, people can get. Hit by impaired drivers and not even be in a car.

Or it can be another carload of people, um, innocent people in another car that they, they may run into or take out themselves. So we have to think of the whole, the whole picture. So in that case, If it comes down to it, you may have to call law enforcement if you are very concerned. Um, I've had to do that before when I witnessed someone who was very dangerous behind the wheel.

And we need, you know, to protect the community and our families and friends out there.

Prakash Chandran: Yeah, it's not about that person. It is about something much greater. And I'm so glad that you mentioned that. Um, Melissa, thank you so much for your time today. Is there anything else that you'd like to leave with our audience before we sign off?

Melissa Parkinson RN, BSN, CEN: I would just like to say, um, that it's, this is a very important subject and that since it became law, I think it was 1981, where um, DUIs actually were, came into, um, the legal system, driving under the influence and was punishable that. They have decreased with all the awareness. The cases have decreased, but still even one these preventable deaths that you know.

it's very important. So this is a extremely important, um, matter and everyone wants their friends family to come home and be safe on their travels. So just to remind everyone to always feel free to speak up, to help people if they don't have, um, If they don't know how to get a taxi or help them plan for the designated driver or a ride share and working all together and through promoting it, I think that's the best way to get the numbers down.

Hopefully we can get it. No more death from impaired driving.

Prakash Chandran: Well, I think that's the perfect place to end. Thank you so much for your time and for your guidance.

Melissa Parkinson RN, BSN, CEN: Yeah. Thanks for having me.

Prakash Chandran: That was Melissa Parkinson, a registered nurse and trauma coordinator at Ridgecrest Regional Hospital. Thanks for checking out this episode of the Ridgecrest Regional Hospital Podcast. To learn more, you can visit r rhh.org.

Melissa also mentioned a couple resources samhsa, the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration. You can call them at eight hundred six six two help, and also the National Suicide Prevention Line. And you can call at eight hundred two seven three. If you found this podcast to be helpful, please share it on your social channels and be sure to check out the entire podcast library.

For topics of interest to you, my name's Prash Chen. Thanks again for listening. Be well.