Tilburg, The Netherlands: Drivers who test positive for marijuana in their urine do not experience elevated risks for having a motor vehicle accident, according to case-control data to be published in the July issue of the journal Accident Analysis & Prevention.
Researchers at the St. Elisabeth Hospital in the Netherlands estimated the association between drug use and motor vehicle accidents by conducting a prospective observational case-controlled study. Cases were drivers involved in road crashes requiring hospitalization. Controls were drivers recruited at random while driving on public roads.
Authors found that drivers’ risk for road trauma significantly increased with the use of benzodiazepines and alcohol. Increased risks, although not statistically significant, were also assessed for drivers using amphetamines, cocaine, or opiates.
“No increased risk for road trauma was found for drivers exposed to cannabis,” authors concluded.
Previous reviews have found similar results, noting that drivers with trace amounts of cannabinoids in the blood and/or urine are typically no more likely than drug-free drivers to be culpable in road crashes. By contrast, recent use of cannabis (i.e., within the past 1-3 hours), particularly in higher doses, may elevate a driver’s risk for injury compared to drug-free drivers, according to recently published epidemiological data.
For more information, please contact either Paul Armentano or Allen St. Pierre of the NORML Foundation at (202) 483-5500. Copies of the study, entitled “Psychoactive substance use and the risk of motor vehicle accidents,” will appear in the July 2004 issue of Accident Analysis & Prevention.