Citation

Christophersen AS. Transp. Res. Circular 2006; (E-C096): 41-46.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, U.S. National Academy of Sciences Transportation Research Board)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Driving under the influence of drugs other than alcohol has gained considerable attention during recent years. Increased prevalence of non-alcohol drugs among apprehended and accident drivers has been reported from several countries. Studies and discussion of accident risks caused by the different illegal and psychoactive medicinal drugs have been in progress for a long time without any conclusion. Several review articles have been published during recent years. One problem may be connected to the fact that results from different epidemiological studies (case control, responsibility analyses, and descriptive analytical studies) are inconclusive. So far, roadside surveys collecting a large number of samples to get sufficient positive detections for the individual drug have been difficult to perform. This situation has probably contributed to inconclusive results from risk calculations. Experimental studies for individual drugs, including several performance tests, have contributed to increased knowledge on possible impairment. However, the situation for such studies is different from real traffic. This paper comments on the presentations and discussion during the Transportation Research Board seminar in June 2005 on non-alcohol drugs, what we know about accident risks for the individual drugs, and which type of studies are needed in the future to change policy.