Crash information, urine, blood and bile samples from 900 fatally injured drivers were collected by medical examiners in 22 areas of the country. Randomly selected living drivers were interviewed at times and places of recent fatal crashes in dallas, texas, and memphis, tennessee and breath, urine, and blood samples were obtained. Of 1196 drivers, 91.6% cooperated with the interview, and nearly all of those interviewed provided a breath sample. A total of 75% provided a usable urine sample, and 70.9% of those asked provided a sufficient quantity of blood. Of all the fatally injured drivers examined, 14.3% had used one or more of the 43 drugs tested before the crash. The drugs detected most frequently were antihistamines/decongestants, narcotics, and stimulants. The findings were not geographically dependent. Of the living drivers examined, 7.9% had been using one or more drugs prior to the interview, most frequently antihistamines/decongestants and sedatives. These findings were not site- or city-dependent. Users of drugs are about two times as likely to be fatally injured in a vehicular crash as non-users. The relative risk is greatest for drivers using narcotic analgesics, sedatives/hypnotics, and nicotine, respectively. (Author/publisher)
Abstract