EFFECT OF ALCOHOL AND DRUGS ON DRIVER PERFORMANCE
STUDIES CONDUCTED TO DATE INDICATE THAT BETWEEN 50 AND 70% OF ALL HIGHWAY ACCIDENTS ARE CAUSED BY 7% OF DRIVERS THAT CAN BE CLASSIFIED AS ALCOHOLICS OR ALCOHOL ABUSERS. WHEN AND IF LEGISLATION IS PASSED BY ALL STATES TO REQUIRE BLOOD- ALCOHOL DETERMINATIONS ON ALL ACCIDENT-INVOLVED DRIVERS, THE RESULTING STATISTICS MAY WELL SHOW THAT THE TRUE FIGURE IS CLOSER TO 70%. DRIVING PERFORMANCE DETERIORATION WAS DETERMINED FOR FIVE PROFESSIONAL RACE DRIVERS AT THE 0.10 AND 0.15% BLOOD-ALCOHOL LEVELS. THESE HIGHLY SKILLED DRIVERS WOULD HAVE BEEN A MENANCE ON THE HIGHWAY EVEN AT THE 0.10% BLOOD-ALCOHOL LEVEL, THE PRESUMPTIVE LIMIT FOR INTOXICATION IN THE MAJORITY OF THE STATES. THE TRUE EFFECTS OF DRUGS ON HIGHWAY ACCIDENTS IS NOT ESTABLISHED AT THE PRESENT TIME BECAUSE OF THE LEGAL AND ANALYTICAL PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH ESTABLISHING THAT THE ACCIDENT-INVOLVED DRIVER IS "UNDER THE INFLUENCE" OF DRUGS. THERE CAN BE A SERIOUS DETERIORATION IN DRIVER PERFORMANCE AS A RESULT OF THE USE OF PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS WHEN USED SINGLY OR IN COMBINATION WITH OTHER MEDICATIONS OR WITH ALCOHOL. MARIJUANA APPEARS TO HAVE THE GREATEST POSSIBILITY OF HAVING A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON ACCIDENT STATISTICS; HOWEVER, MEANINGFUL DATA ON MARIJUANA IS NOT AVAILABLE BECAUSE OF THE DIFFICULTY OF ESTABLISHING THAT THE ACCIDENT-INVOLVED DRIVER IS INTOXICATED ON MARIJUANA. VARIOUS SIDE EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA CAN SERIOUSLY IMPAIR THE COGNITIVE PROCESS AND RENDER THE MARIJUANA SMOKER A DANGER ON THE HIGHWAY. /AUTHOR/
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Corporate Authors:
Institute of Traffic Engineers
2029 K Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006 -
Authors:
- Clark, J M
- Publication Date: 1972-9
Media Info
- Features: Figures; References;
- Pagination: p. 214-26
- Serial:
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Alcohols; Crash rates; Drugs; Drunk driving; Marijuana
- Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00224088
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS
- Created Date: Apr 17 1973 12:00AM