This study presents the test results of blood samples and accident records of 993 drivers in The Netherlands. The blood samples were obtained after a traffic accident between October 1998 and September 1999. The samples were sent to the department of toxicology of the Netherlands Forensic Institute(NFI) at Rijswijk, where they were analysed. Data have been made anonymous. Blood samples were linked to the accident records of the Transport Research Centre (AVV) at Heerlen on the basis of date of birth of the driver, district, and time of blood sampling. The results show that a considerable proportion of the drivers involved in road accidents (about 94%) were driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Generally, alcohol tests are performed at the police-office by using an alcohol breath analyser. In 962 of those 993 blood samples however, the blood alcohol concentrations were determined by the NFI, which might be an indication that the driver was not able to finish the breath test properly. In 83% (802/962) of the cases, the blood alcohol concentration exceeded the legal limit of 0.5 mg ethanol/ml blood. In 54% (515/962) of the cases, the blood alcohol concentration exceeded 1,3 mg/ml. Drug screening was performed in all 993 blood samples. In 37% (366/993) of the cases, drugs other than alcohol, affecting driving performance were detected. The most frequently found drugs were: cannabinoids (19%), benzodiazepines (10%), cocaine (7%), opiates (5%), amphetamines (3%). The number of drivers under the influence of a blood alcohol concentration of more than 1.3 mg/ml in combination with other drugs affecting driving performance was 16% (158/962). A rather large percentage of the accidents (43%) took place between 22.00 and 04.00 hours. In 63% of the cases, day of blood sampling was Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Most of the time, the vehicle involved was a car. (Author/publisher)
Abstract