Prevalence of Drug Use in Injured British Columbia Drivers

Motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) due to impaired driving are a leading cause of preventable injury and death and Canadians perceive impaired driving as the most important road safety issue today. Alcohol is well known to impair driving performance and crash risk increases with the amount consumed. Coroners’ studies and trauma center data show that alcohol is involved in about one third of MVCs resulting in serious injury or death. Many illicit drugs such as cannabis, over the counter medications such as antihistamines, and prescription medications such as benzodiazepines, also impair the psychomotor skills required for safe driving. Drivers may be able to compensate for impairment by driving more slowly or engaging in fewer risky maneuvers, but epidemiological evidence suggests that cannabis and benzodiazepines do increase the risk of crashing in real world driving conditions. For other illicit drugs and for other classes of prescription medications the epidemiological evidence for increased risk of crashing is very limited. Compared to drunk driving, drug driving remains poorly understood. It is important for road safety stakeholders to know the prevalence of drug driving, which impairing drugs are most commonly used by drivers, and which drivers are most likely to use drugs. This information can help public health agencies and road safety organizations develop public education and awareness campaigns. Healthcare personnel can use this information to develop medication warnings or interventions that target high risk drivers. Police agencies can develop drugged driving enforcement campaigns that target high risk drugs and drivers.

• Corporate Authors:

  Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals

  ,    
• Authors:
  • Brubacher, JR
  • Chan, H
  • Martz, W
  • Asbridge, M
  • Brant, RF
  • Bryan, S
  • Eppler, J
  • LUND, A
  • Drummer, OH
  • MacDonald, SA
  • Mann, RE
  • Purssell, RA
  • Schreiber, WE
• Conference:
  • Twenty-Fourth Canadian Multidisciplinary Road Safety Conference
• Publication Date: 2014

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Pagination: 1 PDF file, 471 KB, 17p.
• Monograph Title: Twenty-Fourth Canadian Multidisciplinary Road Safety Conference

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Conferences; Data collection; Drugs; Evaluation; Fatalities; Interviewing; Intoxication; Medical examinations and tests; Roadside; Safety; Test procedures
• Geographic Terms: Canada
• ITRD Terms: 8018: Canada; 8525: Conference; 8623: Data acquisition; 2242: Drugs; 2231: Drunkenness; 9020: Evaluation (assessment); 1602: Fatality; 9147: Interview; 2157: Medical examination; 2821: Roadside; 1665: Safety; 6288: Test method
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01569370
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transportation Association of Canada (TAC)
• Files: ITRD, TAC
• Created Date: Jul 10 2015 2:33PM