lt is hard and, at times, unfair to attempt to summarise the contributions given at a conference. This is especially true for a conference that tries to look at two separate but complementary impairment issues: drink and drugs. Looking across the contributions, however, there seem to be four important strands running through the presentations. The first of these is the importance of research. The United Kingdom has a good record in commissioning research to underpin policy development. This is reflected in these conference proceedings. Effective campaigns, as Fiona Murray rightly points out, have to be based on research in order to reach the right target audience. The second strand is that of partnership. This is in danger of becoming a much overused word. However, it still remains central to road safety work. Local authorities, police forces and health professionals all need to work together to achieve maximum effects in casualty reduction. Effective partnerships will lead to a pooling of resources, expertise and ideas. Thirdly, action needs to be relevant to the target group or its effects will be minimal. With both alcohol and drugs, there are different solutions for different ages and social groups. This ought to result in a greater level of sophistication in campaigning than we may have seen in the past. Finally, we need to recognise that there are no easy solutions. If there were, we probably would have found them already. Rather, we need a combination of education, enforcement and co-ordination. In that way, gains will be made. This conference was a contribution towards further thinking about how we continue to bring down the number of drink and drug related deaths. Drinking and driving remains a significant killer on our roads. Drugs and driving must not be allowed to rival it in casualty terms. Nor, however, can it be separated from the growth in drug use in society. Drinking and driving must continue to be a priority for road safety. Tackling drugs and driving is a much wider societal challenge. Programme of “Fit to Drive? Impairment Through Drink & Drugs”, Tuesday, 22nd October 2002: 9.30 Registration and Coffee; 10.00 Chair's Opening Remarks: David Kidney MP, Co-Chair PACTS; 10.10 Keynote Speech: David Jamieson MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, DTLR*; 10.45 The Medical Perspective: Dr Vivienne Nathanson, Head of Professional Resources & Research Group, BMA; 11.15 Coffee; 11.30 Alcohol and Society: Mr Eric Appleby, Director, Alcohol Concern; 12.00 Enforcement Issues: Mr Nick Bennett, Commander, Sussex Police Traffic Division; 12.30 Can New Technology Help? Dr Dilwyn Marple-Horvat, Reader in Motor Control, Manchester Metropolitan University; 13.00 Lunch; 13.45 Drug Impairment Research at the Roadside and in the Laboratory: Dr Rob Tunbridge, Head of Impairment Studies, TRL; 14.15 Drug Driving Campaigns: Ms Fiona Murray, Director, Scottish Road Safety Campaign; 14:45 Tea/Coffee; 15.00 Why Speed Kills - MDMA (‘Ecstasy’) speeds movement but impairs perception of movement: Dr Wim Riedel, Experimental Psychopharmacology Unit University of Maastricht, The Netherlands; 15.30 Drugs and Driving: Dr John Oliver, Dept of Forensic Medicine & Science, University of Glasgow; 16.00 Conference closes. (Author/publisher)
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