Citation

Woodall KL, Chow BL, Lauwers A, Cass D. J. Forensic Sci. 2015; 60(3): 669-674.

Affiliation

Toxicology Section, Centre of Forensic Sciences, 25 Morton Shulman Avenue, Toronto, ON, M3M 0B1, Canada.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, American Society for Testing and Materials, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/1556-4029.12725

PMID

25693690

Abstract

Drug-impaired driving is a complex area of forensic toxicology due in part to limited data concerning the type of drugs involved and the concentrations detected. This study analyzed toxicological findings in drivers from fatal motor vehicle collisions (FMVCs) in Ontario, Canada, over a one-year period using a standardized protocol. Of the 229 cases included in the study, 56% were positive for alcohol and/or drugs. After alcohol, cannabis was the most frequently encountered substance (27%), followed by benzodiazepines (17%) and antidepressants (17%). There were differences in drugs detected by age but no marked difference in drugs detected between single and multiple FMVC's. Not all drugs detected were considered impairing either due to drug type, concentration or case history. The findings indicate the importance of comprehensive drug testing in FMVCs and highlight the need to consider a variety of factors, in addition to drug type and concentration, when assessing the role of drugs in driving impairment.

Keywords: Cannabis impaired driving; DUID; Ethanol impaired driving

Language: en