A CO-ORDINATED APPROACH TO THE DRUGS AND TRAFFIC SAFETY PROBLEM. MEDICINES AND ROAD TRAFFIC SAFETY

This paper reviews the evidence obtained in australasia concerning the role of drugs (prescription, over-the-counter and illicit) in traffic violations. Details are given of the usage of drugs and alcohol in the community, and of drug usage by drivers. The results of roadside surveys as reported in the literature are presented together with estimates of drug usage by selected populations of drivers. Information collected by interview, analysis of body fluids, or both is discussed under the headings of the most serious category of incident: (a) surveys of breath-analyzed drivers; (b) drugs found in drivers apparently intoxicated by those other than alcohol, (c) drugs detected in crash-injured drivers; (d) drugs detected in the blood of drivers killed in traffic crashes. Proposals are put forward for a co-ordinated approach to a perceived drugs-driving problem: (1) determination of the incidence of drugs in crash-injured drivers and their blood concentrations and establishing a relation between these data and a number of variables pertaining to the driver and the circumstances of the crash; (2) examination of the behavioural pharmacology of drugs identified in (1) above, both alone and when combined with social doses of alcohol. The association between psychomotor impairment and the concentration of the drug in body fluids will be explored; (3) development of non-invasive methods of drug screening, initially using saliva. (TRRL)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/1869868021
• Corporate Authors:

  CNS (Clinical Neuroscience) Publishers

  50 Ferry Street, Isle of Dogs
  London,   England 
• Authors:
  • STARMER, G A
  • VINE, J H
  • WATSON, T R
• Publication Date: 1988

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 35-53
• Serial:
  • Publication of: CNS (Clinical Neuroscience) Publishers
  • Publisher: CNS (Clinical Neuroscience) Publishers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alcohol breath tests; Blood; Conferences; Crashes; Crimes; Drivers; Drugs; Fatalities; Impaired drivers; Injuries; Interviewing; Intoxication; Medical examinations and tests; Medicine; Motor skills; Saliva; Tests; Urine
• Uncontrolled Terms: Psychomotor performance
• Geographic Terms: Australia
• Old TRIS Terms: Driver impairment
• ITRD Terms: 1643: Accident; 1542: Alcohol test; 8006: Australia; 2036: Blood; 8525: Conference; 1772: Driver; 2242: Drugs; 2231: Drunkenness; 1602: Fatality; 2163: Injury; 9147: Interview; 2157: Medical examination; 1516: Offence; 2027: Saliva; 6255: Test; 2025: Urine
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00493021
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• ISBN: 1-869868-02-1
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: May 31 1990 12:00AM