Citation

Linnoila M. Ann. Clin. Res. 1974; 6(1): 7-18.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1974, Finnish Medical Society)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

4150682

Abstract

Driving is a psychomotor task requiring use of the senses, driving skill, attention and memory. After a short discussion on information processing and mental capacity, a number of methods used in the study of extra risk factors in traffic are dealt with. A survey is then given of the effects of alcohol, and certain drugs, on driving. It is concluded that driving is a 'divided attention task' requiring the gathering of information (mainly by vision), the processing of the useful part of this information, and the making of compensatory movements. The main limiting factor in driving is the capacity of the human information processing ability. The use of drugs and alcohol are just as serious problems in traffic as at work. Drug users constitute some 15% of drivers in Western society. The possible risk caused by drugs in traffic is difficult to evaluate, since drug users are often people with multiple problems. They have about twice the accident risk of normal drivers in traffic, and the mortality risk in traffic due to alcohol increases exponentially with the blood alcohol concentration. Laboratory data indicate that at the beginning of treatment even low doses of neuroleptics impair the human information processing capacity, and that benzodiazepines have a strong additive interaction with alcohol. All doctors should warn their patients about the potential risks in driving, caused by psychotropic drugs, especially at the beginning of treatment. Keywords: Cannabis impaired driving

Language: en

Language: en