The current situation concerning alcohol and drugs in road accidents in Great Britain is reviewed. A decade after the introduction of legislation imposing a legal limit of 80mg/100 ml alcohol in the blood of drivers, the paper examines the evidence available on the involvement of different road users in alcohol related accidents, together with the trends over the years. Action arising out of the Blennerhassett committee of inquiry into drinking and driving is reported. An exploratory investigation of the role of drugs in accidents, based on very limited epidemiological evidence for accident involved drivers and a general sample of drivers, shows that fairly substantial numbers of men and women take therapeutic drugs before driving: sufficient numbers to claim that this subject cannot be dismissed as insignificant without further investigation. In studies so far no evidence has been found to suggest that there is any material problem with use of narcotics or hallucinogens (including cannabis) in Great Britain, and cases of drug abuse amongst drivers are rare. Future research needs and proposals are discussed. (Author/publisher)
Abstract