The present study was conducted within Work Package 2 of the EU-funded project DRUID (Driving under the influence of drugs, alcohol, and medicines) in order to estimate the prevalence of psychoactive substances within the German driver population and to identify preventive and promotive circumstances of drug driving. The results serve as major input to the discussion on drug driving, rehabilitation, and prevention. The regular approach to estimate prevalence rates is to conduct a roadside survey. By the present study, a new methodological approach was implemented. Instead of detecting drugs in the driving population — like roadside surveys do — a sample of regular drug users out of the regular driving population were queried for four weeks about their driving and drug consumption behaviour. In total, the sample consists of 195 drug users and 100 controls out of the normal driving population stratified for sex, age (18-24-year-olds, 25-29-year-olds, 30-39-year-olds), and residence (rural, urban, and city area). To capture real-time data about drug consumption and driving, a repeated-entry diary technique was applied. A questionnaire was installed on smartphones and was filled in daily for 28 consecutive days. All activities were listed in chronological order with the focus on drug consumption and driving. Encrypted data were transmitted via GPRS and the Internet. Immediately after reception, data were checked for consistency by study assistants. In case of inconsistencies or peculiarities, the entries were discussed by phone and corrected if necessary. (Author/publisher) This document is available at https://www.bast.de/Druid/EN/Home/home_node.html
Abstract