Source: The Irish Times



Pubdate: 8 May 1999







The Irish Times

Saturday, 8 May 1999 



ubject: 10% of those in EU traffic accidents on drugs 



At least 10 per cent of people killed or injured in traffic

accidents in the European Union are taking some type of drug,

according to a new report.



The Health Research Board report also says there has been a

four-fold increase since 1987 in the number of drivers killed

who have traces of illegal drugs in their bodies.



But the report conducted for the European Monitoring Centre

for Drugs and Drug Addiction says alcohol is "the biggest

problem" in road accidents.



"Where involvement in traffic accidents is concerned, no drug

has ever been found with a frequency that compares to that of

alcohol," said the author, Ms Rosalyn Moran of the HRB.



Alcohol was found to be involved in 19 per cent of injurious

accidents and 22 per cent of fatal accidents in the EU.



Ms Moran said alcohol has a "deleterious effect on a range of

driving skills", including brake reaction time, collision

frequency, steering responsiveness and risk-taking appreciation.



She said that the "lesser problem" posed by other drugs, such

as benzodiazepines and amphetamines, is "still important".

Benzodiazepines "may impair driving skills" in the first few

weeks of treatment. Then the effects "may dissipate with

continued use".



Ms Moran said cannabis "does not seem to significantly impair

very basic perceptual mechanisms", but it "does impair more

subtle aspects of perceptual performance such as attention and

shortterm memory, although these are typically observed at

higher doses".



Methadone, the substitute for heroin, "does not result in

sufficient driving impairments to merit users being designated

unfit", particularly among experienced users, she said.



Amphetamines have "few effects" on cognitive functioning at

lower doses, but at higher doses, "risk-taking increases and

responses become inappropriate".



She said there are no laws in the EU defining illegal blood limits

of illicit drugs or medicines and said there is "insufficient"

evidence to define safe levels.



Advances in drug testing technology must be developed

further, she said, and called on police officers to be trained in

"drug-related impairment recognition".