PSYCHOTROPIC DRUG USE AND DRIVING RISK: A REVIEW AND ANALYSIS

THE INCIDENCE OF PSYCHOTROPIC DRUG IS STUDIED IN GENERAL POPULATIONS, IN SAMPLES OF DRIVERS, AND IN SAMPLES OF ACCIDENT DRIVERS. INVESTIGATIONS HAVE VARIED IN TERMS OF DRUGS STUDIED, RELIABILITY OF DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURES AND CRITERIA FOR CHOOSING SAMPLE POPULATIONS. THIS VARIABILITY PLUS LACK OF REPLICATIVE INVESTIGATIONS MAKES THE GENERATION OF CONCLUSIONS TENTATIVE AT THIS TIME. THE STUDIES CITED DID SHOW THAT AS HIGH AS 35 TO 50% OF THE GENERAL POPULATION RISK DRIVING AFTER DRUG USE AT LEAST ONCE PER YEAR AND SUGGEST THAT 11 TO 15% OF ACCIDENT DRIVERS HAVE TAKEN A PSYCHOTROPIC DRUG PRIOR TO THEIR ACCIDENT. PSYCHTROPIC DRUG USE IS MOST LIKELY TO BE FOUND AMONG CERTAIN DRINKING DRIVER GROUPS, ESPECIALLY THE FATALLY INJURED. THE AUTHORS INDICATE THAT THE VERACITY OF DRIVERS' STATEMENTS ABOUT DRUG USE IS VERY LOW AND DRUG USE ESTIMATES DERIVED FROM QUESTIONING ARE PROBABLY VERY CONCERVATIVE. FURTHER RESEARCH IS RECOMMENED IN ASSOCIATING THE USE OF PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGS WITH DRIVING ERRORS OR WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR ACCIDENTS. /AUTHOR/

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1800052
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 2, No 2, PP 73-85
• Authors:
  • Kibrick, E
  • Smart, R G
• Publication Date: 1970-6

Media Info

• Serial:
  • Journal of Safety Research
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0022-4375
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00224375

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crashes; Drivers; Driving; Drugs; Fatalities; Samples
• Uncontrolled Terms: Criteria
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00223285
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 21 1970 12:00AM