INVOLVEMENT OF DRUGS IN ACCIDENT CAUSATION

Responsibility analysis has been used to assess the contribution of drugs in traffic accidents involving fatally injured drivers killed in Australia in 1995 and 1996. These results have been compared with those of a similar study conducted in three states from 1990-1993. The prevalence of drugs in drivers killed in 1995-96 averaged at 27 percent, an increase of 5 percent from 1990-93. The prevalence in individual states ranged from 11 to over 41 percent. In two states not all drivers were subjected to uniform drug testing, creating biased incidence results. In other states the most prevalent drug was cannabis, which increased in prevalence from 11 percent to 13 percent in this period. There were lesser changes for the other major drug groups: opioids, benzodiazepines and amphetamine-like stimulants. The incidence of alcohol (BAC greater than or equal to 0.01 percent) averaged 32 percent in 1995-96 cases, a decrease of 4 percent from 1990-93. Risk analysis showed no significant increase in risk for drivers positive for cannabis and opioids, but when combined with other psychoactive drugs, a significant increase in risk occurs (3.5-fold). Drivers positive for alcohol over 0.05 percent gave an increase in risk of 9-fold over drug-free drivers. Users of amphetamines and related stimulants and benzodiazepines show a trend to a higher risk, but this was not significant. Of interest was the significant increase in risk for users of psychotropic drugs, other than the main four drug groups and mixed psychoactive drugs. Estimates of the contribution of drugs to the road toll suggest that up to 8 percent of drivers may be drug affected at the time of the accident. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see IRRD abstract no. E200321.

• Corporate Authors:

  Australian Office of Road Safety

  470 Northbourne Avenue
  Dickson, A.C.T. 2602,   Australia 
• Authors:
  • Drummer, O H
  • GEROSTAMOULOS, J
  • Batziris, H
• Conference:
  • NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY SUMMIT, 1998, CANBERRA, ACT, AUSTRALIA
• Publication Date: 1998

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 201-6

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Conferences; Crash rates; Crashes; Drivers; Drugs; Fatalities; Intoxication
• Uncontrolled Terms: Causes
• Geographic Terms: Australia
• ITRD Terms: 1643: Accident; 1612: Accident rate; 8006: Australia; 9001: Behaviour; 9003: Cause; 8525: Conference; 1772: Driver; 2242: Drugs; 2231: Drunkenness; 1602: Fatality
• Subject Areas: Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00792865
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• Files: ITRD, ATRI
• Created Date: May 31 2000 12:00AM