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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
Time: 12:42 am
Time: 12:42 am
Results for traffic accidents
7 results foundAuthor: Gemmell, Colin Title: Literature Review on the Relation between Drug Use, Impaired Driving and Traffic Accidents Summary: The health consequences of drug use are a priority area for the EMCDDA and impaired driving and road traffic accidents linked to drugs constitute an important topic on which comprehensive information is lacking. The literature review addressed inter alia the relationship between different patterns of drug consumption, impaired driving and traffic accidents. In addition drug testing procedures and associated legislation regarding drug-impaired driving in the different EU Member States were described and the issues raised by such testing reviewed. The outcomes of the study included a scientific literature review and annotated bibliography on the relation between drug use, impaired driving and traffic accidents. Details: Lisbon: EMCDDA, 1999. 96p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 24, 2011 at: http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/html.cfm/index58070EN.html Year: 1999 Country: Europe URL: http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/html.cfm/index58070EN.html Shelf Number: 121787 Keywords: Driving Under the Influence of DrugsDrug AbuseDrug-Impaired DrivingDrugged Driving (Europe)Drugs and DrivingTraffic Accidents |
Author: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) Title: Drug Use, Impaired Driving and Traffic Accidents, Second Edition Summary: This literature review provides a comprehensive report on the relationship between drug use, impaired driving and traffic accidents. It describes methodological issues (Chapter 1), presents the results of prevalence surveys among drivers and provides an overview of findings from major international epidemiological surveys published since 2007 (Chapter 2) and gathers evidence from experimental and field studies of the relationship between drug use, driving impairment and traffic accidents (Chapter 3). The research methods can be broadly separated into experimental and epidemiological studies. Every approach has its inherent advantages and disadvantages. Experimental studies, in which the drug is administered in measured doses to volunteers, may be conducted in a laboratory or a driving simulator or on the public road. They allow the effects of a single factor to be measured, but can identify only potential risks, and in some cases the results can be of limited value because of the use of non-realistic doses for safety reasons or because of the drug use history of the volunteers or inter-individual differences. Epidemiological studies examine the prevalence of drug use in various populations. They include roadside surveys, studies assessing the prevalence of drugs in a subset of drivers, accident risk studies, responsibility analyses, surveys among the general population and pharmacoepidemiological studies. However, the study design means that it is not possible to completely eliminate all risk factors other than that under examination and which may be highly correlated with the risk factor of interest. The results of different studies may not be comparable if, for example, different populations or different kinds of samples are tested. The results of experimental studies have indicated that several illicit drugs could have an influence on driving performance; the effects of some, but not all, drugs are dose dependent. Cannabis can impair some cognitive and psychomotor skills that are necessary to drive. 3,4-Methylenedioxymethylamphetamine (MDMA) exerts both negative and positive effects on performance, and studies investigating the effects of a combination of alcohol and illicit drugs have found that some illicit drugs (e.g. cannabis) can act additively with alcohol to increase impairment, while others (e.g. cocaine) can partially reverse alcohol-induced impairment. MDMA can diminish some, but not all, deleterious effects of alcohol, while other negative effects of alcohol can be reinforced. The chronic use of all illicit drugs is associated with some cognitive and/or psychomotor impairment, and can lead to a decrease in driving performance even when the subject is no longer intoxicated. The results of experimental studies also show that some therapeutic drugs can cause obvious impairment. Benzodiazepines, for example, generally have impairing effects, but some types (whether long-, medium- or short-acting) cause severe impairment, whereas others are unlikely to have residual effects in the morning. First-generation antihistamines are generally more sedating than second-generation ones, though there are exceptions in both groups. Tricyclic antidepressants cause more impairment than the newer types, though the results of experimental tests after consumption of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are not always consistent. In every therapeutic class, however, some substances are associated with little or no impairment. These therapeutic drugs should preferably be prescribed to those wishing to drive. Epidemiological studies have confirmed many of the findings from experimental studies. The Driving under the Influence of Drugs, Alcohol and Medicines (DRUID) project has calculated that, on average, 3.48 % of drivers in the European Union drive with alcohol (> 0.1 g/l) in their blood, 1.9 % with illicit drugs, 1.4 % with (a limited list) of medicinal drugs, 0.37 % with a combination of alcohol and drugs and 0.39 % with different drug classes. Studies assessing the prevalence of drugs, medicines and/or alcohol in drivers who were involved in a traffic accident (fatal or otherwise) have found that alcohol is more prevalent than any other psychoactive substance, but drugs are also frequently found, and in a higher proportion of drivers than in the general driving population. Of the drugs analysed, cannabis is the most prevalent after alcohol, although benzodiazepines, when samples have been analysed for these, are sometimes even more prevalent than cannabis. Statistically, the use of amphetamines, cannabis, benzodiazepines, heroin and cocaine is associated with an increased risk of being involved in and/or responsibility for an accident, and in many cases this risk increases when the drug is combined with another psychoactive substance, such as alcohol. From the perspective of traffic safety - especially looking at prevalence rates and risks - the following conclusions can be made. Alcohol, especially in high concentrations, must remain the principal focus of prevention measures. The combination of alcohol and drugs or medicines seems to be a topic that should be addressed more intensively because it is associated with a very high risk of a traffic accident. The problems resulting from medicine use among drivers should be addressed by providing doctors and patients with appropriate information, not by defining thresholds. Based on experimental studies, D9-tetrahydrocannabinol and amphetamines would appear to represent a minor risk, but in case-control studies amphetamines use is associated with a much increased risk of accident. More research is needed to investigate the probable risks of amphetamines in real traffic and the mediating factors. From the perspective of risk, sleep deprivation should also be addressed as it is associated with a high risk of accidents. Details: Lisbon: EMCDDA, 2014. 156p. Source: Internet Resource: Insights, no. 16: Accessed July 16, 2014 at: http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/insights/2014/drugs-and-driving Year: 2014 Country: Europe URL: http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/insights/2014/drugs-and-driving Shelf Number: 132694 Keywords: Driving Under the InfluenceDrug OffendersDrugged Driving (Europe)Illicit DrugsTraffic Accidents |
Author: Ferris, Jason Title: A national examination of random breath testing and alcohol-related traffic crash rates (2000-2012) Summary: Random Breath Testing (RBT) is a practice where police stop motor vehicle drivers chosen by chance to measure the amount of alcohol in their system. RBT is a central and important law enforcement initiative in reducing alcohol-related road traffic accidents, which has been embraced by all jurisdictaions in Australia since the 1980s. Australia is deemed to have the most successful RBT program internationally, measured in terms of alcohol-related traffic crash (ARTC) reductions (Erke, Goldenbeld, & Vaa, 2009). This is attributed to the high intensity of the RBT programs and the associated perception by drivers of being charged for drink-driving (Erke et al., 2009; Peek-Asa, 1999). However within Australia, RBT programs are not implemented uniformly and their effectiveness varies considerably between the states and territories (see Harrison, Newman, Baldock, & McLean, 2003; Homel, 1988; Papafotiou-Owens & Boorman, 2011). This research report examines the relationship between RBT and ARTC rates for each Australian jurisdiction, in order to better understand state-specific trends and to undertake a national comparison which ranks the success of the RBT programs operating in each jurisdiction. The research draws on data spanning January 2000 – December 2012 (where available), and uses joinpoint regression (Statistical Research and Applications Branch, 2013) to evaluate and quantify any significant deviations in trends over time for each of the administrative datasets. The research finds jurisdictions with RBT to licensed driver ratios of 1:1 or greater, New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania and the Northern Territory, report stable to declining ARTC trends and lower percentages of reported drink-driving (8.38 to 12.49 per cent; Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2011) compared with jurisdictions where the RBT ratio is 1:2 or 1:3; with the exception of the Northern Territory. The Northern Territory reports a higher percentage of reported drink-driving (14.95 per cent; Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2011) and a current ARTC rate of more than double that of Tasmania. Jurisdictions with an RBT ratio of 1:2 or 1:3, South Australia, Australian Capital Territory and Western Australia, also report declining ARTC trends however these jurisdictions show higher percentages of reported drink-driving (13 to 14.56 per cent; Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2011). The results suggest the relationship between RBT and ARTC rates is not clear cut. While the expected pattern between RBT and ARTC rates is observed, that is an increase in the RBT ratio is associated with a decrease in ARTC rates, this pattern is not observed for all jurisdictions. This suggests that trends for both RBT ratios and ARTC rates are likely to also be influenced by other factors such as geographic differences, varying levels of RBT publicity and educational campaigns, responses for recidivist drink-drivers (rehabilitation), and drink-driving penalties. Details: Canberra: Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education, 2015. 92p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 8, 2015 at: http://www.fare.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/A-national-examination-of-random-breath-testing-and-alcohol-related-traffic-crashes-2000-2012-FINAL-web.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Australia URL: http://www.fare.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/A-national-examination-of-random-breath-testing-and-alcohol-related-traffic-crashes-2000-2012-FINAL-web.pdf Shelf Number: 135193 Keywords: Alcohol Law EnforcementDriving Under the InfluenceDrunk Driving (Australia)Random Breath TestingTraffic Accidents |
Author: Insurance Fraud Bureau Title: Crash for Cash: Putting the Brakes on Fraud Summary: Definition: to stage or deliberately cause a road traffic collision solely for the purpose of financial gain. Costing around $400m a year, 'Crash for Cash' scams are run by fraudsters who manufacture collisions, sometimes with innocent road users, hoping to profit from fraudulent insurance claims. With claims from a single collision potentially worth tens of thousands of pounds, organised fraudsters are orchestrating scams that involve multiple collisions and can be worth millions of pounds. Details: London(?): IFB, 2014. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 23, 2015 at: https://www.insurancefraudbureau.org/media/1036/ifb_crash_for_cash_report_online.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.insurancefraudbureau.org/media/1036/ifb_crash_for_cash_report_online.pdf Shelf Number: 135771 Keywords: Financial CrimesInsurance FraudTraffic Accidents |
Author: Lacey, John H. Title: Drug and Alcohol Crash Risk: A Case-Control Study Summary: This study used a "case-control" design to estimate the risk of crashes involving drivers using drugs, alcohol or both. Data was collected in Virginia Beach, Virginia, for 20 months. The study obtained biological measures on more than 3,000 crash drivers at the scenes of the crashes, and 6,000 control (comparison) drivers. Control drivers were recruited one week after the crashes at the same time, day of week, location, and direction of travel as the crash-involved drivers. Data included 10,221 breath samples, 9,285 oral fluid samples, and 1,764 blood samples. Oral fluid and blood samples were screened and confirmed for the presence of alcohol and drugs. The crash risk associated with alcohol and other drugs was estimated using odds ratios that indicate the probability of a crash occurring over the probability that such an event does not occur. If a variable (alcohol and/or drugs) is not associated with a crash, the odds ratio for that variable will be 1.00. A higher or lower number indicates a stronger relationship between the probability of a crash occurring and the presence of that variable (alcohol and/or drugs in the driver). Confidence intervals (CIs) of an odds ratio indicate the range in which the true value lies—with 95 percent confidence. Alcohol: Alcohol was the largest contributor to crash risk. The unadjusted crash risk estimates for alcohol indicated drivers with a breath alcohol concentrations (BrACs) of .05 grams per 210 liters (g/210L) are 2.05 times more likely to crash than drivers with no alcohol. For drivers with BrACs of .08 g/210L, the unadjusted relative risk of crashing is 3.98 times that of drivers with no alcohol. When adjusted for age and gender, drivers with BrACs of .05 g/210L are 2.07 times more likely to crash than drivers with no alcohol. The adjusted crash risk for drivers at .08 g/210L is 3.93 times that of drivers with no alcohol. Drugs: Unadjusted drug odds ratio estimates indicated a significant increase in crash risk. For the active ingredient in marijuana, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), this yielded an unadjusted odds ratio of 1.25. However, after adjusting for gender, age, race/ethnicity, and alcohol, there was no indication that any drug significantly contributed to crash risk. The adjusted odds ratios for THC were 1.00, 95 percent CI [.83, 1.22], indicating no increased or decreased crash risk. Odds ratios for antidepressants were .86, 95 percent CI [.56, 1.33]; narcotic analgesics were 1.17, 95% percent drugs as an overall category were .99, 95 percent CI [.84, 1.18], and prescription and over-the-counter medications were 1.02, 95 percent CI [.83, 1.26]. Alcohol and Drugs: Analyses found no statistically significant interaction effects when drivers were positive for both alcohol and drugs. Although initial analyses suggested that the combination of alcohol and other drugs were contributors to increased crash risk, additional analyses adjusting for other risk factors indicated no significant effect. When both alcohol and other drugs were consumed, alcohol alone was associated with crash risk. Details: Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2016. 190p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 10, 2017 at: https://one.nhtsa.gov Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://one.nhtsa.gov Shelf Number: 144774 Keywords: Driving Under the Influence Drugged Driving Drunk Driving Traffic Accidents |
Author: Traffic Injury Research Foundation Title: Marijuana Use Among Drivers in Canada, 2000-2015 Summary: Public concern about drug-impaired driving in general and marijuana-impaired driving in particular has increased in recent years. Marijuana studies have shown that the psychoactive chemical delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (or THC) enters the user's bloodstream and brain immediately after smoking or consuming marijuana, and has impairing effects. In addition, research on drivers in fatal crashes has shown that THC-positive drivers are more than twice as likely to crash as THC-free drivers (Grondel 2016). There is also evidence from surveys of Canadian drivers suggesting that the prevalence of marijuana use is greater among drivers aged 16 to 19 years than drivers in other age groups (Robertson et al. 2017). With the legalization of recreational marijuana in Canada, continued monitoring of this road safety topic is timely. This fact sheet, sponsored by Desjardins, examines the role of marijuana in collisions involving fatally injured drivers in Canada between 2000 and 2015. Data from TIRF's National Fatality Database were used to prepare this fact sheet which explores trends in the use of marijuana among fatally injured drivers, and the characteristics of these drivers. Other topics that are examined include the presence of different categories of drugs among fatally injured drivers in different age groups as well as comparisons of the presence of marijuana and alcohol among this population of drivers. Details: Ottawa: Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 2018. 6p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 25, 2018 at: http://tirf.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Marijuana-Use-Among-Drivers-in-Canada-2000-2015-7.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Canada URL: http://tirf.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Marijuana-Use-Among-Drivers-in-Canada-2000-2015-7.pdf Shelf Number: 153029 Keywords: Alcohol Driving Under InfluenceDriving While IntoxicatedLegalizationMarijuanaRecreational MarijuanaSubstance UseTraffic AccidentsWeed |
Author: Capler, Rielle Title: Cannabis Use and Driving: Evidence Review Summary: Cannabis is widely used in Canadian society (used by 12% of Canadians in 2011) for both medical and recreational purposes. Recently, the federal government announced its intention to legalize cannabis, with the implementation of new laws expected in early 2018. The federal government's stated intention of the new laws is to mitigate potential risks of cannabis use. A potential risk that is of great concern is driving after using cannabis. Public education pertaining to the use of cannabis and driving must be based upon current research knowledge if it is to be effective and relevant. To this end, we have undertaken a scoping review of available research evidence in order to: 1. Synthesize current research regarding risks associated with cannabis use in the context of driving; 2. Identify research that points to effective strategies for mitigation of this risk. Details: Burnaby, BC: Canadian Drug policy Coalition, Simon Fraser University, 2017. 67p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 3, 2019 at: https://drugpolicy.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CDPC_Cannabis-and-Driving_Evidence-Review_FINALV2_March27-2017.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Canada URL: https://drugpolicy.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CDPC_Cannabis-and-Driving_Evidence-Review_FINALV2_March27-2017.pdf Shelf Number: 155277 Keywords: Driving Under InfluenceDriving While IntoxicatedDrugged DrivingLegalizationMarijuanaRecreational MarijuanaSubstance UseTraffic AccidentsWeed |