Bill to address drugged driving being considered in Albany
BRIGHTON, N.Y. — If a local lawmaker gets his way, it could soon be a lot easier to punish more people driving while on drugs.
State Senator Jeremy Cooney, a Democrat, is addressing an issue that's received a good amount of attention, especially since the advent of synthetic drugs and the legalization of cannabis.
Namely, the current laws regulating what law enforcement can or cannot do with a driver they suspect got behind the wheel while impaired by drugs.
Right now, the law is murky, mainly because law enforcement is required to name the drug that impaired the driver or risk watching the suspect walk.The ever-changing synthetic drugs makes that very difficult.
Cooney's bill would change the definition of 'drug' in traffic law to include any substance or combination of substances that impair, to any extent, physical and mental abilities.
'When we talk about life-saving legislation, we think that this is certainly something that could deter drivers from either consuming these drugs and operating a motor vehicle or hold bad drivers accountable under the law and allow prosecutors to seek justice on behalf of the victims,' Cooney said.
This would likely lead to more license suspensions and revocations, though, one group called Legal Action Center has concerns that bills like this will result in more involuntary psychiatric hospitalizations, adding the government should focus more on treating mental health issues and addressing the opioid crisis.
'It's not necessarily whether you pass protection laws like mine or you provide mental health services. I hope we can do both, not only in the state budget that we're negotiating right now, but in public policy this legislative session,' Cooney said in response.
This proposal comes as AAA is reporting more people driving high on cannabis following legalization and national data shows a dramatic increase in the number of drivers involved in fatal crashes who tested positive for at least one drug.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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