A COMPARISON OF DRUG USE IN DRIVER FATALITIES AND SIMILARLY EXPOSED DRIVERS

Crash information, urine, blood and bile samples from 900 fatally injured drivers were collected by medical examiners in 22 areas of the country. Randomly selected living drivers were interviewed at times and places of recent fatal crashes in Dallas, Texas, and Memphis, Tennessee and breath, urine, and blood samples were obtained. Of all the fatally injured drivers examined, 14.3% has used one or more of the 43 drugs tested before the crash. The drugs detected most frequently were antihistamines/decongestants, narcotics, and stimulants. The findings were not geographically dependent. Of the living drivers examined, 7.9% had been using one or more drugs prior to the interview, most frequently antihistamines/decongestants and sedatives. These findings were not site- or city-dependent. Users of drugs are about two times as likely to be fatally injured in a vehicular crash as non-users. The relative risk is greatest for drivers using narcotic analgesics, sedatives/hypnotics, and nicotine, respectively.

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• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/1175
• Corporate Authors:

  Midwest Research Institute

  425 Volker Boulevard
  Kansas City, MO  United States  64110-2299

  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Blackburn, R R
  • Woodhouse, E J
• Publication Date: 1977-7

Media Info

• Pagination: 196 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Antihistamines; Blood analysis; Crash injury research; Crash investigation; Drivers; Drugs; Fatalities; Interviewing; Medical examinations and tests; Medication; Nicotine; Opioids; Sedatives; Statistical analysis; Traffic crashes; Traffic safety
• Uncontrolled Terms: Analgesics; Comparative analysis; Motor vehicle accidents
• Geographic Terms: Tennessee; Texas
• Old TRIS Terms: Blood chemical analysis; Body fluids; Cns stimulants; Hypnotics and sedatives; Nasal decongestants
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00159387
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT-HS-802-488 Final Rpt.
• Contract Numbers: DOT-HS-4-00941
• Files: NTIS, NTL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Sep 20 1978 12:00AM