United States Department of Transportation
i
The Incidence of Driving under the Influence of Drugs 1985: An Update of the State of Knowledge
-
1985-12-01
[PDF-1.74 MB]
Details:
-
Creators:
-
Corporate Creators:
-
Subject/TRT Terms:
-
Publication/ Report Number:
-
DOI:
-
Resource Type:
-
Geographical Coverage:
-
Corporate Publisher:
-
Abstract:This report reviews recent studies of the incidence of drug use by drivers. Only reports published since a 1980 state of knowledge report were included. The report is divided into three sections covering the incidence of drug use by: (1) fatally injured drivers, (2) injured drivers, and (3) non-accident involved drivers detained by the police. The studies reviewed indicate which drugs are being used by drivers. The drugs (or drug classes) most frequently detected are (in order of decreasing incidence): Marijuana; Diazepam (Valium(R)); Cocaine; Barbiturates (e.g., Secobarbital); Methaqualone; PCP (phencyclidine). The data reviewed indicate that drugs are detected in 102 to 222 of the accident involved drivers. Drugs (other than alcohol) are detected by themselves in 2% to 152 of the accident involved drivers. The majority of the drug using drivers were found to have high levels of alcohol in combination with the drugs (ranging from 53% to 77%). The studies reviewed do not allow us to precisely estimate the extent of drug use by drivers. Most of these studies did not use unbiased representative samples and tested for only a limited number of drugs. The simple incidence data currently available is insufficient to determine which specific drugs increase accident risk. This would require data on the extent to which non-accident involved drivers use these drugs. These missing data would allow a determination of the degree to which drivers using drugs are overrepresented in accidents. /Abstract from report summary page/
-
Format:
-
Collection(s):
-
Main Document Checksum:
-
Download URL:
-
File Type:
