THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BLOOD BENZODIAZEPINE CONCENTRATIONS AND THE CLINICAL TEST FOR DRUNKENNESS IN DRIVERS SUSPECTED OF DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS
Benzodiazepines (BZDs)--commonly prescribed drugs for insomnia and anxiety--may increase accident risks in traffic without a definitive concentration-effect relationship. Alcohol, however, increases accident proneness concentration dependently. This survey analyzes the concentration-effect relationship of these agents in field conditions in terms of performance on the clinical test for drunkenness (CTD), which is a set of motor, vestibular, mental, and behavioral subtests developed in Finland to examine drunken drivers. Currently, the CTD is used only when drivers are suspected of driving under the influence of drugs other than alcohol. To understand drug effects on CTD performance, blood and urine samples of a total of 1,069 Finnish drivers were analyzed for BZDs and alcohol. Final analysis involved 327 cases. Impairments on the CTD correlated significantly both to blood alcohol concentration and to blood BZD concentration. The results verify the sensitivity of the CTD in revealing alcohol-induced impairments of psychomotor performance, and also reveal a clear concentration-response relationship between CTD performance and blood BZD concentrations.
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Corporate Authors:
Brain Information Service
Brain Research Institute University of California
Los Angeles, CA United States 90024-1746 -
Authors:
- KUITUNEN, T
- Aranko, K
- Nuotto, E
- LINDBOHM, R
- MATTILA, M J
- Korte, T
- SEPPALA, T
- Publication Date: 1994-4
Language
- English
Media Info
- Features: Figures; References; Tables;
- Pagination: p. 135-146
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Serial:
- ALCOHOL, DRUGS AND DRIVING
- Volume: 10
- Issue Number: 2
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Blood analysis; Crash causes; Drug effects; Drugged drivers; Drugs; Drunk driving; Research; Risk assessment; Tests
- Geographic Terms: Finland
- Old TRIS Terms: Accident risks; Blood chemical analysis; Drug caused accidents
- Subject Areas: Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00678045
- Record Type: Publication
- Report/Paper Numbers: HS-041 972
- Files: HSL, TRIS
- Created Date: May 19 1995 12:00AM