THE COMBINED EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL AND COMMON PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS: FIELD STUDIES WITH AN INSTRUMENTED AUTOMOBILE

Eight subjects were administered drugs (marihuana) and alcohol, and their driving was tested in an automatic, instrumented (potentiometer attached to the steering wheel, a wheel counter, real time clock, a secondary task periperal light on the dashboard) car on an 8.5 mile stretch of highway. Details are given of the equipment and the driving task. The following measures of driver performance were made: steering amplitude and frequency in the 60 mph region, steering amplituted in the 25 mph region, speed and speed variation in both the 60 and 25 mph zones, reaction time to the peripheral light on the dash board, number of pylons knocked down, and distance between the front tires and the white line adjacent to the traffic signal. The results indicated that alcohol alone and in combination with other drugs affects driving performance in different ways. Steering movement and average velocity were measures which most clearly differentiated between drug conditions.

• Corporate Authors:

  National Research Council of Canada

  National Aeronautical Establishment
  Ottawa, ONo K1A OR6,   Canada 
• Authors:
  • Smiley, A M
• Publication Date: 1974-11-12

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 20 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alcohols; Automobiles; Driver performance; Drivers; Drugs; Drunk driving; Instrumentation; Marijuana; Personnel performance; Reaction time; Speed; Steering
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driver reaction
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00084224
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: LTR-ST. 738
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 10 1975 12:00AM