This in-depth review on drugs and driving is based on information provided to the EMCDDA by the EU Member States and candidate countries and Norway (participating in the work of the EMCDDA since 2001) as part of the national reporting process. As the use of illicit drugs increased towards the end of the 20th century, most noticeably among young adults, so too did concern over the effects of such substances on the driving population as illicit drugs affect various motor control and perception skills, as well as behaviour and attitudes to risk. Studies designed to measure the prevalence of drug use among drivers were largely based on the results of toxicological analyses, and therefore focused on groups of drugs categorised according to their molecular structure, generally opioids, cannabis, benzodiazepines, amphetamines and cocaine, although other classes, such as antihistamines, antidepressants and other synthetic drugs, also emerged. However, as the number of such studies grew, it became clear that illicit drugs were not the only psychoactive substances used by drivers: a significant number were found to have psychoactive medicines in their bloodstream, including opioid painkillers such as codeine, antidepressants and sedatives. By the end of the 1990s, it was becoming increasingly clear that road traffic safety depended on controlling consumption not only of illicit substances such as cannabis and amphetamines, but also of certain medicines (whether legally prescribed or not). In 1999, a study of drug use among drivers in different European countries concluded that the prevalence of drug use was probably in the range of 1 % to 5 % for illicit drugs and of 5 % to 15 % for licit drugs. The most commonly used medicines were benzodiazepines, which were prioritised within the Certified project as one of the substances associated with the highest relative accident risk – higher than that of cannabis (Verstraete, 2003). Since then, considerable European and world research has addressed the issue. An EMCDDA literature review in 1999 summarised the information then available on the effects of drug use on driving, and this has been updated in 2007. Comprehensive questionnaires from the Pompidou Group in 1999, 2002 and 2005 on drugs and road safety provided material for discussions at seminars hosted by that organisation. The International Conference on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety (ICADTS) is held every 2 to 3 years, and at each of the last two conferences, in 2004 and 2007, over 200 papers were presented. EU projects have also been carried out: Rosita and Rosita—2 examined roadside drug testing devices, Certified assessed which drugs carry the highest risk of impairment and Immortal studied various types of impairment and their related aspects (laws, epidemiology, accident risk, testing) and their effects on driver licensing. Coordinated by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy and Transport, the EU road safety action programme 2003—10 (COM(2003)311, s.5.1.1) encourages continuation of work on the effects of drugs and medicines, with appropriate classification and labelling of medicines that affect driving ability. Meanwhile, the Council Resolution of 27 November 2003 on combating the impact of psychoactive substances use on road accidents recommends increased epidemiological monitoring, the exchange of information on best practice by providing information to the EMCDDA, targeted prevention campaigns and appropriate measures against drivers found to be under the influence of psychoactive substances. The Commission expert group on drugs, medicines and driving has already made various recommendations and continues to study the matter. The EU drugs action plan 2005—08 looks at health risks in specific situations, such as driving under the influence of drugs (paragraph 24). Finally, the European Commission is co-financing project DRUID (Driving under the influence of drugs, alcohol and medicine) from 2006 to 2010. The objective of this project is to provide scientific support to the EU transport policy to reach the 2010 road safety target. The consortium comprises 37 partners from 18 Member States and Norway. The total cost of the project is EUR 23 933 860 and the EC contribution is EUR 18 932 265 (1). In the light of the prevalence findings and other research, the EMCDDA chose to study countries’ experiences of people driving after taking (a) cannabis and (b) benzodiazepines, examining the similarities and the differences between them. The responses were then analysed regarding legislation, law enforcement and prevention, and differences between the two substances were identified whenever possible. (Author/publisher)
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