Beyond the bottle: The growing threat of prescription impairment on Florida roads

NAPLES, Fla. (WINK)— On any given day, at least 5% of all drivers on American roads are impaired by prescription medications, according to a study commissioned by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

Prosecutors believe it happened to one of the most famous athletes in the world when Tiger Woods crashed his vehicle in late March.

And it happened to Matt Johnson.

"That's what ended up leading me to overdosing behind the wheel, going left of center, and crashing into a fence," Johnson said.

Johnson began taking prescription medications as a teenager. What started as experimentation spiraled into nearly two decades of addiction and almost cost him his life.

He's now in recovery and works at St. Matthew's House in Naples.

Johnson recalled his early experiences with prescription drugs without fully understanding their dangers.

"We didn't know what they were or what was going to happen, but I went ahead and did it," Johnson said.

For Johnson, prescription medications became something far different than their intended purpose.

What many consider medicine became a dangerous substance in his hands.

"It wasn't safe at all. It might be medicine to some, but for me, it was just a drug. Just to get high," Johnson said.

Rachel Lamar is the South Florida area executive director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. She says too many people simply don't see prescription drugs as dangerous as alcohol when it comes to driving.

"The statistics are showing people just don't kind of see them as equal," Lamar said. "Whether it's opioids, depressants, stimulants — and oftentimes it's poly use. So, we're also taking the medication and drinking, and that's where you really see a lot of those crashes," Lamar said.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles recorded more than 5,000 impaired driving crashes in the state last year. Ninety percent involved alcohol. But experts warn the prescription drug numbers may be far higher than reported, in part because identifying drug impairment requires specially trained officers.

These specialized officers are often called across multiple agencies to assess crashes when drugged driving is suspected.

"They are often called out — even multi-agency — where some agencies may not have one, so they rely on others in their network to come out and assess a crash if there's suspicion of drugged driving," Lamar said.

For Johnson, the wake-up call finally came at his lowest point. His addiction had taken a devastating physical and professional toll.

"I was at the end of it — 122 pounds, just on death's door. Lost my job, went home, and said, 'I just need to get some help,'" Johnson said.

Driving while impaired by prescription medications is illegal in all 50 states, even with a valid prescription.