Abstract
The negative impact of alcohol on traffic safety has been known for a long time. In the past decade, a growing number of publications report on the advent of prescription drugs (including tranquilizers, sleeping drugs and other psychoactive substances) as well as illicit drugs that act as additional risk factors in traffic accidents. Data reported by the various countries differ, a situation certainly not enhanced by differing sampling and legal regulations. On the basis of available statistics, it appears that alcohol intoxication is still the predominant risk factor in road accidents with fatal outcome, with licit and illicit drugs playing an increasingly important role. (A)