An OECD road research group has examined the effects of alcohol and drugs on traffic safety and reviewed the effectiveness of accident countermeasures. Firstly, the report examines the general methodological approaches that have been taken in research on alcohol and drugs in relation to driving in order to discern the limitations in the current knowledge in these areas. It then contains a study of the alcohol problem, its extent and nature, as well as the identification of the road user population at risk and the determination of the specific effects of alcohol on behaviour; emphasis is laid on the most recent research findings especially as regards the application of countermeasures. The aim of the subsequent chapter on drugs is to examine the kinds of substances that probably are important to road safety in terms both of the extent of consumption and of their appropriate information, education and rehabilitation programmes. Finally the report ends by suggesting a number of recommendations regarding the implementation in OECD countries of an epidemiological research programme with the aim of evaluating and controlling the alcohol and drug/driving problem as well as the development of more sensitive and practical assay techniques.(a) the IRRD number of the french version of the report is 105712.
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