There is increasing concern across the EU Member States about the role drug use may play in traffic accidents. This literature review addresses inter alia the relationship between different patterns of drug consumption, impaired driving and traffic accidents. In addition drug testing procedures and associated legislation regarding drug-impaired driving in the different EU Member States are described and the issues raised by such testing reviewed. An annotated bibliography on the relation between drug use, impaired driving and traffic accidents has been compiled and is available as a separate document. This report is divided into three main sections. Chapter One covers the methodological issues which arise in studying a relationship between drug use and driving. Chapter Two discusses experimental and field evidence of a relationship between various medicinal, illicit and new synthetic drugs and driving impairment. Chapter Three outlines the situation in European Union countries regarding testing for drugs and discusses some recent proposals for screening. (A)
Abstract