Psychopharmacological research in traffic safety is mainly directed towards the following questions: which drugs in what dosage increase driving risk, what are their specific effects, in whom, and under what conditions do these effects occur, and how great is the drug-produced increase of risk. There is no single study which could answer all these questions but decisions should be made in advance as to which of them will be examined and design planned accordingly. Common to all studies is the problem of using valid, reliable and objective measuring instruments. Fact that the driving-task in itself has not been analysed satisfactorily yet. In addition, measuring instruments ought to possess enough sensitivity to show effects of moderate doses even in the necessarily artificial setting of an experiment. Another problem is the practical relevance of the results which is not identical with their statistical significance. Moreover, enhancement in one area may compensate for moderate impairment in another, or effects on personality and mood might interact with effects on performance. It is necessary to contemplate the population at risk and the specific question to be answered by the study for adopting an adequate sampling procedure. Here, as well as in other areas, we are faced with the dilemma between scientific accuracy and applicability to real-life conditions. Certainly the usual dosage and duration of medication under therapeutic conditions are of primary importance. In any case, placebo reactions and as many intra- and interindividual as well as external factors as possible should be controlled. Suggestions will be made concerning research priorities which seem necessary in order to enhance the systematic approach to the experimental investigation of drug effects on driver behaviour and the comparability of different studies. (Author/publisher) for the covering abstract of the conference see IRRD 259956.
Abstract