Driving under the influence of drugs
International research
The Institute of Psychopharmacology at the University of Maastricht
The Institute has been carrying out numerous research projects on the influence of drugs on driving, tests required to detect driving impairment, and safe levels of drugs required for driving.
Human Psychopharmacology
The journal Human Psychopharmacology produced a special edition relating specifically to drug driving issues in 1998 (Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental vol 13 issue S2)
The International Council on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety (ICADTS)
Go to the website here
- ICADTS is an independent non-profit body whose only goal is to reduce mortality and morbidity brought about by misuse of alcohol and drugs by operators of vehicles in all modes of transportation.
- May 2000: Illegal drugs and driving.
This report summarises global activities on the subject of illegal drugs and driving. The goal of the working group is to identify what is known about the scope of the problem, to provide a discussion of current status of political, legislative, and law enforcement efforts, and to make recommendations for new strategic initiatives and future research.
- In 2000/2001 ICADTS published prescribing guidelines for medicinal drugs and driving. The goal is to provide guidelines for safe prescribing and dispensing of medicinal drugs to patients who drive. They suggest the report could be the basis for international prescribing and dispensing guidelines by professional organisations active in improving medical, pharmaceutical, and regulatory practices.
- In 2000/2001 guidelines on experimental studies undertaken to determine a medicinal drug’s effect on driving or skills related to driving were produced.
Ongoing/planned
- ICADTS are currently conducting a study of clinical signs of impairment for other drugs. Their goal is to establish guidelines for the scientific study of the effects of illegal drugs on driving performance and to investigate the development, evaluation, and use of clinical impairment tests. Issues that must be considered include the diversity and changing popularity of these drugs and the inability to administer some drugs to human subjects under controlled conditions.
- ICADTS have several other on-going working groups looking at subjects relating to drug driving.
Europe
Council of Europe
In April 1999, The Pompidou Group held a seminar entitled 'Road traffic and illicit drugs'. Figures for drivers suspected of being under the influence of drugs are given for countries in Europe, along with prevalence of legal and illegal drug use in drivers involved in collisions. One of the aims of the Pompidou Group is to explore the relation between drug abuse and road traffic accidents.
European Union
Roadside Testing Assessment (ROSITA) - go to the website here - conducted a project funded by the European Commission. They prepared the following reports:
- June 1999: Drugs and medicines that are suspected to have a detrimental impact on road use performance.
- June 1999: Inventory of state-of-the-art roadside testing equipment.
- August 1999: Operational, user and legal requirements across EU member states for roadside drug testing equipment.
- December 2000: Evaluation of different roadside drug tests.
- December 2000: General conclusions and recommendations for the use of roadside testing equipment in Europe. The use of urine, oral fluid and sweat to test for the presence of drugs were evaluated. They conclude that it would be desirable if there was one set of regulations for the whole of the EU with regard to driving under the influence.
European monitoring centre for drugs and alcohol addiction (EMCDDA)
Literature review on the relation between drug use, impaired driving and traffic accidents. A comprehensive literature review about the potential role drug use may play in traffic accidents across EU member states. Different tests for impairment are reviewed along with summaries of drugs or groups of drugs and their potential effects on the body. Read more here
US government
- National clearing house for alcohol and drugs (NCADI) - read more here
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA, an agency of the US Department of Health and Human Resources) published a report entitled Driving after drug or alcohol use - read more here
The report contains findings about drug use and driving using data collected in the 1996 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse. The questions were designed in order to examine past year prevalence and patterns of driving behaviours within two hours of substance use. They reported that 28% (46.5 million) people indicated that they had driven within two hours of drug or alcohol use.
- The National Commission Against Drunk Driving (NCADD) published a report in 1998 entitled 'Driving after drug and alcohol use: findings from the 1996 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse' - read more here.
One of the implications of this study is that people should be made more aware of the physiological implications of taking cannabis, and that any campaign should be aimed particularly at those aged between 16 and 21.
- The Centre for Substance Abuse Prevention published 'Impaired driving among youth: trends and tools for prevention' in January 2000. Read more here.
The publication’s purpose is to assist programme managers, practitioners and policymakers in their programme design and implementation.
Australian government
- A governmental organisation called VicRoads produced a report in 1999 entitled Drugs and driving. It reports that both prescription and illegal drugs known to affect driving are found in almost 24% of drivers killed on roads in 1998. Read more here.
- The Parliament of Queensland released a report in November 1999 entitled Drug Driving in Queensland, they recommend setting up a specialist drug driving task force to coordinate and promote policies and programs to prevent drug impaired driving. Read more here.
Disclaimer
These websites are suggested for further information only and this does not suggest an endorsement of their content in any way by the BMA. Further, the BMA can make no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy of any information or advice provided by external sources for which links are provided here. The views of other organisations do not necessarily reflect those of the BMA.