The scientific objectives of IMMORTAL (Impaired Motorists, Methods of Roadside Testing and Assessment for Licensing) were to investigate the influence of chronic and acute impairment factors on driving performance and accident risk, to recommend criteria for high-risk categories of impairment, and to provide key information to support formulation of European policy on licensing assessment and roadside impairment testing. A meta-analysis was conducted to determine the relative risks of different impairments on driving. Alcohol gave the highest relative risk, followed by neurological diseases and mental disorders. Five experiments are briefly described involving drivers treated with modern antidepressants, diabetes mellitus, ecstasy / amphetamines, ecstasy and alcohol, and common cold medicines. Treatment with modern antidepressants improved driving ability but not to the level of matched healthy controls. Although diabetic patients had problems with visual functions and attention, their driving performance was similar to that of healthy patients. Ecstasy (75mg MDMA) impaired important cognitive functions and some driving tasks. Use of ecstasy + alcohol was not compatible with driving safely. Drivers who took over-the-counter medicine while suffering from a cold may feel capable of driving but were less aware and actually more dangerous than non-medicated cold sufferers. For the covering abstract see ITRD E138063.
Abstract