Drugs and Driving: Information Needs and Research Requirements

Joscelyn, Kent B.; Jones, R. K. (Ralph K.); Maickel, Roger P.; Donelson, Alan C. · 1979 · ROSA P / United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This 1979 report, commissioned by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and conducted by the University of Michigan Highway Safety Research Institute, addresses the critical gap in knowledge regarding the relationship between drugs (excluding alcohol alone) and highway safety. The study was motivated by the recognition that while many drivers use drugs with potential behavioral effects, existing evidence was insufficient to establish the specific role of drugs in traffic crashes or to define the problem’s magnitude. Consequently, the authors treated the existence of a drug-driving problem as a working hypothesis, aiming to identify the research necessary to define the issue and develop appropriate countermeasures. The methodology involved a comprehensive review and analysis of existing literature, including epidemiological and experimental studies, as well as research on countermeasures. The authors conducted extensive manual and computer-based literature searches using databases such as Social SciSearch, NTIS, and MEDLINE, supplemented by consultations with active researchers. The report is organized into three parts: a review of recent research, an assessment of problem areas and information needs, and conclusions with recommendations. The review covered six major areas: identification of drugs of interest, epidemiological research on drug involvement in driving populations, experimental research on drug effects on driver performance, analytical methods for detecting drugs in biofluids, interpretation of drug levels relative to performance, and preventive countermeasures. The findings indicate that the field of drugs and driving research is in a state of "prolonged infancy," characterized by fragmented, uncoordinated, and limited-scale studies. The report concludes that existing research cannot establish the role of drug usage in accident causation, nor can it determine the nature and extent of drug usage among drivers involved in crashes or those at risk. Key deficiencies include a lack of sufficient funding for large-scale studies, inadequate drug analytical methodology, and a dearth of information linking pharmacological effects to driver impairment. The authors note that knowledge levels in this area are significantly lower than those for alcohol-related driving safety, with the highest research priorities identified as incidence and prevalence studies to define the problem's scope. The significance of this report lies in its systematic identification of information needs and its proposal for a coordinated research program. The authors recommend near-term research priorities focused on epidemiological studies to determine the contribution of drug use to accident risk and the extent of drug use among drivers. They also emphasize the need for improved analytical methods for detecting drugs in body fluids and for experimental studies to determine drug concentration-effect relationships. The report outlines a systematic program of research to implement these recommendations, aiming to provide the foundational data necessary for developing effective legal, health, and technological countermeasures for drug-impaired driving.

Key finding

Existing research on drugs and driving is fragmented and methodologically limited, preventing the establishment of a definitive causal link between drug usage and traffic accident causation.

Methodology

review

Provenance

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

Topics

Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.

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

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