Use of Controlled Substances and Highway Safety: A Report to Congress

Compton, Richard P. · 1988 · ROSA P / United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This 1988 report, prepared by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in response to the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, examines the relationship between controlled substance use and highway safety. The study aims to determine the nature and magnitude of drug-impaired driving, identifying which drugs impair performance, the dosage levels associated with impairment, and the frequency of drug use among drivers involved in crashes. The report defines "drugs" broadly to include all substances except alcohol that have the potential to impair driving ability, encompassing illegal drugs, prescription medications, and over-the-counter medicines. The report relies on a comprehensive review of existing literature rather than new primary data collection. It synthesizes findings from laboratory studies of human performance, driving simulator research, on-the-road studies, and epidemiological data regarding drug incidence in crash-involved and detained drivers. The analysis highlights significant methodological challenges, including the difficulty in establishing a precise correlation between blood drug levels and behavioral impairment due to individual physiological differences, tolerance, and the complex metabolism of various substances. Unlike alcohol, for which blood concentration reliably predicts impairment, most drugs lack such standardized metrics. Key findings indicate that drug use is widespread, with approximately 23 million current marijuana users and 5 million current cocaine users in the United States at the time. Drugs were detected in 10% to 22% of drivers involved in crashes, often in combination with alcohol. Specially trained police officers in Los Angeles estimated that 20% of drivers arrested for impairment were under the influence of drugs other than alcohol. The report identifies tranquilizers (e.g., Valium), sedatives, hypnotics, and marijuana as having the highest potential to be serious highway safety hazards. While the drug-driving problem is substantial, the data suggest it is less prevalent than the alcohol-driving problem, which involves 40% of traffic fatalities. Special populations, such as young drivers and commercial truck drivers, exhibit distinct usage patterns; young drivers show higher rates of marijuana and cocaine use, while commercial drivers show higher rates of stimulant use. The report concludes that while considerable progress has been made, critical information gaps remain regarding the specific crash risks associated with various drugs and dosage levels. To address these gaps, the Department of Transportation outlined future research plans, including a large-scale study to determine the incidence and role of drugs in fatal crashes using improved testing technology and responsibility analysis. Additionally, the DOT planned simulator studies to assess the impairing effects of high-priority drugs and the development of a police training program based on the Los Angeles Police Department’s effective drugged driver detection procedures. These initiatives aim to enhance enforcement capabilities and provide a more definitive understanding of drug-related highway safety risks.

Key finding

Drugs are present in approximately 10 to 22 percent of crash-involved drivers, with marijuana, sedatives, and tranquilizers identified as the substances with the highest potential for highway safety hazards.

Methodology

review

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• illicit drugs
• polydrug
• cannabis
• prescription meds
• opioids
• alcohol

Information type

What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).

• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence, crash risk outcomes
• Methodological Resource: validation psychometrics