INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP EFFECTS OF 10 MG DIAZEPAM ON DRIVERS' ABILITY, CONFIDENCE, AND WILLINGNESS TO ACT IN A GAP-JUDGING TASK

The effects of a single 10mg oral dose of diazepam on behavioral components of a driving task were compared between groups and between individuals. It has been suggested that an increasing number of people drive after taking diazepam. While the clinical use of anxiolytics is expected to improve a patient's everyday performance, experimental studies have indicated performance decrements, no effects, or performance increments. To assess possible reasons for this variation, 20 male drivers participated in a study which assessed their ability, each subject's degree of confidence in his ability, and subjects' willingness to drive through varied gap sizes. Drivers' experience ranged from 6 months to 22 years, and their age range was 19-41 years. The test vehicle was a 1975 Ford Escort 1100 station wagon. Drivers were divided into two groups of 10 and were tested individually on each of two days. Group one treatment was placebo-diazepam, and group two treatment was placebo-placebo. Group results showed a significant increase in group two's willingness and a significant decrease in group one's willingness to attempt gaps, suggesting greater caution under diazepam treatment. There was no change in either group's confidence but group one showed a significant increase in ability variance. When analyzed by individual, varied significant changes were found in ability and confidence for group one individuals, some changes better and some worse under diazepam treatment. No significant changes in ability or confidence were observed for group two individuals. All group one subjects were less willing to attempt gaps under diazepam treatment, while all group two subjects were more willing to attempt gaps under continued placebo treatment. The validity of findings is discussed in terms of real-life driver behavior and in relation to different individual effects of diazepam on decisionmaking and perceptual-motor components of driver behavior in a gap-judging task.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00333158
• Corporate Authors:

  Springer Verlag

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  New York, NY  United States  10010
• Authors:
  • WETHERELL, A
• Publication Date: 1979

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 259-267
• Serial:
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Volume: 63
  • Publisher: Springer Publishing Company
  • ISSN: 0033-3158
  • EISSN: 1432-2072
  • Serial URL: http://www.springerlink.com/content/0033-3158/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Driver performance; Drivers; Driving tests; Drugs; Personnel performance; Tranquilizers
• Subject Areas: Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00391479
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-028 826
• Files: HSL, USDOT
• Created Date: Dec 30 1984 12:00AM