THE INFLUENCE OF MEDICINES UPON THE REACTION PERIOD. PART 1. THE ACTION OF ALCOHOL AND PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGS. PART 2. THE MUTUAL EFFECT OF ALCOHOL - DRUGS AND THE TRANSFERABILITY OF EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS INTO THE REAL TRAFFIC SITUATION

BEEINFLUSSUNG DER REAKTIONSDAUER DURCH MEDIKAMENTE. TEIL 1: DAS WIRKUNGSSPEKTRUM VON ALKOHOL UND PSYCHOTROPEN MEDIKAMENTEN. TEIL 2: WECHSELWIRKUNGEN ALKOHOL-MEDIKAMENTE UND UEBERTRAGBARKEIT EXPERIMENTELLER ERGEBNISSE IN REALE VERKEHRSSITUATIONEN

Part 1. A judgment of reaction behaviour has to be based on constitutional, dispositional and situational conditions. In examining the possible effects of alcohol or of drugs note has to be taken of tolerance, usage pattern (including mis-usage), state of illness and current requirements. The effects of alcohol on reaction behaviour and period of reaction have been the subject of extensive research. Significant changes in performance, particularly increases in reaction time, are to be expected with blood alcohol concentrations of as little as 0.5 0/00. In contrast the spectrum of the possible effects of drugs is widespread. Slowing down of the reactions is to be expected with centrally suppressive drugs - sleeping, sedating and pain killing remedies. In the case of medicines used for combating specific psychical illnesses the form and degree of the illness and the usage pattern is vitally important in making a judgment on their traffic-medicine effect. In suchcases the basic illness is frequently not compatible with the essential demands of performance in road traffic. Part 2. Because of the increase in use of medicines and the continuous growth in alcohol consumption, note must be taken of the increasing possibility of the mutual effect of medicine and alcohol. The different pharmacological and numerous drugs and above all with psychotropically-acting psychopharmaka, in the wider and narrower sense, negative effects upon reaction behaviour are to be expected, if alcohol is consumed at the same time. Measurable increases in reaction time are provided in examples. The possibility of transferring results based on experimental pharmaco-psychological investigations into real traffic situations must be critically and carefully undertaken. Experience about reaction time and reaction delays can only be obtained from the reconstruction of real accident situations. (TRRL)

• Corporate Authors:

  Information Verlag

  Obere Hauptstrasse 13, Postfach 131
  D-7634 Kippenheim,   Germany 
• Authors:
  • STAAK, M
• Publication Date: 1980-7

Language

• German

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 151-160
• Serial:
  • Verkehrsunfall
  • Volume: 18
  • Issue Number: 7/8
  • Publisher: Information Verlag

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alcohols; Aptitude; Behavior; Blood alcohol levels; Crash reconstruction; Diseases and medical conditions; Driver performance; Drivers; Driving; Drugs; Drunk drivers; Drunk driving; Measurement; Mental illness; Motor reactions; Personnel performance; Psychological aspects; Reaction time; Tests
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driver reaction; Psychosis
• ITRD Terms: 7347: Alcohol; 1553: Blood alcohol content; 2226: Driving aptitude; 2242: Drugs; 2134: Illness; 6136: Measurement; 2154: Medical aspects; 2247: Reaction (human); 1621: Reconstruction (accid); 6255: Test
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00334639
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Bundesanstalt für Straßenwesen (BASt)
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 16 1981 12:00AM