ALCOHOL, DRUGS AND ACCIDENT RISK

The investigations detailed in this report represent a systematic attempt to study the interactive effects of single therapeutic doses of drugs and social doses of alcohol on human sensory, cognitive and motor performance. It was considered likely that the information obtained would be of predictive value in the assessment of the hazards of drug-alcohol involvement in the driving situation. The effects of alcohol in doses of 0.54, 0.75 and 1.0 g/kg, which induce peak blood alcohol concentrations of about 0.06 per cent, 0.09 per cent and 0.11 per cent respectively, were found to impair the performance of subjects in a dose-dependent manner. A high dose of alcohol was utilised where antagonism of the drug on effects of alcohol might be expected to occur. The two lower doses which induced lesser impairment, were used in investigations where either synergism or an additive effect was anticipated. The drugs studied were of two types: (a) those which are taken to counteract the inebriate effects of alcohol, and (b) those for which there is clinical evidence of an interactive effect. This paper reports the findings obtained in a baseline study of the effects of alcohol and the effects of fructose, dextrose, caffeine, meclastine (tavegyl), dexchlorpheniramine (polaramine), diazepam (valium), and chlordiazepoxide (librium) taken alone and together with alcohol. /TRRL/

• Corporate Authors:

  New South Wales Dept of Motor Transport, Australia

  Rothschild Avenue, Roseberry
  Sydney, New South Wales 2018,   Australia 
• Authors:
  • Teo, RKC
• Publication Date: 1975-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos; References;
• Pagination: 32 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alcohols; Blood alcohol levels; Crashes; Driver performance; Drivers; Drugs; Human factors; Personnel performance
• Geographic Terms: Australia
• ITRD Terms: 1643: Accident; 7347: Alcohol; 8006: Australia; 1553: Blood alcohol content; 2242: Drugs
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00142752
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Report/Paper Numbers: Report No. N4/75 Monograph, HS-018 604
• Files: HSL, ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 19 1983 12:00AM