EU Study Documents Prevalence of Drugged Driving

A summary report has been issued on the European Union (EU) research project on Driving Under the Influence of Drugs, Alcohol and Medicines (DRUID). The summary reviews the findings of 50 reports, conducted over 5 years across 18 countries, that provide scientific evidence on levels of drug and alcohol use among drivers and recommends actions to improve road safety and policy. Random roadside surveys detected alcohol in 3.5% of drivers; illicit drugs in 1.9% of drivers; and psychoactive medications in 1.4% of drivers. Psychoactive substances were strongly associated with traffic accidents: between 28% and 53% of drivers seriously injured or killed in accidents tested positive for psychoactive substances. The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction published Findings From the DRUID Project, which is available here.