| In recent years the use of prescription drugs and party drugs, other than
alcohol, have been regarded more and more as possible risk factors in traffic safety. The
use of drugs is increasing, particularly by young people. Signals coming
from the police point out the increase of driving under the influence of substances other
than alcohol.
Objective
information regarding the extent of drug use in relation to traffic safety is not (yet)
freely available. Forensic laboratories have a limited amount of information at their
disposal regarding a select group of road users.
International knowledge
Internationally
there is scarcely any information available pertaining to the effects that medication and
drugs have upon traffic safety. Objective statistics are difficult to obtain because the
relationship between traffic safety and the use of drugs is difficult to establish due to
absence of a well-defined epidemiological research.
It is
becoming more obvious that drugs use is not just in traffic. With the use of drugs,
certainly in combination with alcohol, there is a suggestion of unpredictable risks in
traffic for the person involved and for other road users.
Police
in several European countries carrying out spot checks at night frequently come across
(often) young drivers who appear dazed but have not been drinking alcohol. Usually these
young people are coming from parties and are suspected of using "party drugs" or
smoking cannabis.
Research
Europe
International
research carried out by the Institute of Human Psychopharmacology at the University of
Maastricht has proved that 4 - 12% of drivers who have been involved in traffic accidents
were under the influence of drugs.
In
Belgium the research showed that 15% of the car drivers were found to be under the
influence of drugs. Research in England recently showed that 18% of drivers involved in
accidents were under the influence of drugs, 70% of whom were under the influence of
cannabis. Besides this 6% were found to be under the influence of medication. Finally,
research in France showed that 1 in 6 road traffic accidents were caused by the use of
cannabis.
No thought given to the
consequences for traffic safety
Although in the last ten years much scientific information has become
available regarding the consequences of the use of different types of drugs in relation to
traffic safety, educational campaigns have received very little attention in these
matters. In schools as well as driving schools there is insufficient attention given to
the consequences of the use of drugs and medication.
The
ignorance of establishing a possible causal relation between traffic accidents and the use
of drugs.
All
the scientists however are unanimous in their opinion: "Drugs and certain medications
don’t go together with traffic safety". Therefore education deserves to have a
priority!
Enforcement
Training
and Drugs Recognition
USA
Since
the 1970’s the police in the USA have made use of an extensive training programme in
Los Angeles, in which after 12 actions (compulsory) it can be established if a driver is
under the influence of another substance other than alcohol. After following this
expensive and extensive training programme the specialists are capable of recognising in
86 - 91% of cases if a driver is under the influence of drugs.
Traffic
Police experts in Scotland (Strathclyde) developed, in co-operation with American drugs
experts, a similar program which was successfully introduced this year.
The
knowledge in this training-programme is not only available for police experts but can also
be used for preventive purposes, for example to inform the management and drivers of
commercial companies. It can save lives and it will give health and financial benefits
with regard to the company costs.
Cozart RapiScan
The
Cozart RapiScan is a qualitative detection system for the on-site analysis of drugs in
saliva. The system will simultaneously analyse the sample for multiple drugs.
Cozart
RapiScan can simultaneously detect multiple drugs from a single saliva sample.
Saliva is collected by a swab and placed in a test cartridge together with some run fluid.
The
cartridge is placed in the instrument and a timer is activated to count down five to ten
minutes depending on tests being run. The Cozart RapiScan then interprets the results from
multiple immunoassays within the cartridge and gives a digital read-out for each drug
tested.
Tests available are:
5-panel (THC):
simultaneously tests for Amphetamines, Benzodiazepines, Cannabinoids (THC), Cocaine and
Opiates
5-panel (MTD):
simultaneously tests for Amphetamines, Benzodiazepines, Methadone, Cocaine and Opiates
2-panel (OPI/MTD):
simultaneously tests for Opiates and Methadone
1-drug:
individual tests for cannabinoids
More info: http://www.cozart.co.uk/
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