The incidence of alcohol and other drugs in drivers killed in New Zealand road crashes 2004–2009

Poulsen, Helen; Moar, Rosemary; Troncoso, Carolina

doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2012.10.026

Cited by 28 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…But lower than the 27% reported in Canada (as THC and/or carboxy-THC) [1] and 30% reported in New Zealand (as THC) [13]. The high prevalence of cannabis use in these studies likely reflects the fact that cannabis is the most prevalent drug used across the UK and worldwide [10], although it was not detected at all in a study from Jordan [12], or in the earlier study of MVC fatalities in Scotland [20].…”

Section: Resultscontrasting

confidence: 57%

“…Surveys of the incidence of drugs and alcohol in MVCs have been carried out in numerous countries, including Australia [7], Brazil [8], Canada [1], England & Wales [9,10], France [11], Jordan [12], New Zealand [13], Norway [14,15], Spain [16], Sweden [17] and other Northern European Countries [18], and the USA [19]. However, little is known about how frequently drugs are involved in fatal MVCs in Scotland, with the last detailed study having been published in 1999, and then only for the Strathclyde region [20].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Toxicological findings in driver and motorcyclist fatalities in Scotland 2012–2015

Hamnett

Ilett

Izzati

et al. 2017

Forensic Science International

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Highlights  The toxicological findings in driver and motorcycle fatalities in Scotland have been examined. Fifty-seven percent of the cases examined were positive for drugs and/or alcohol. The most common findings were alcohol and cannabinoids. AbstractFatal motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) continue to be a common occurrence worldwide. This paper presents a retrospective analysis of the toxicological investigation of drivers and motorcyclists fatally injured in MVCs in Scotland from 2012 to 2015. One hundred and eighteen cases with full toxicological analysis, i.e., alcohol, drugs of abuse and prescription drugs, were examined. Of those 118 MVC cases, 74 (63%) were car drivers, 32 (27%) were motorcyclists and the remaining were drivers of other vehicles such as large goods vehicles. The majority of deceased drivers and motorcyclists were male (N = 104, 88%). For the toxicological findings, 51 (43%) were negative, and of the 67 (57%) positive cases, alcohol and cannabinoids were the most frequently detected substances, followed by opiates and benzodiazepines. Fifteen percent of all drivers and motorcyclists were over the prescribed blood alcohol limit at the time of analysis. In comparison to previous reports

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Section: Resultscontrasting

confidence: 57%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toxicological findings in driver and motorcyclist fatalities in Scotland 2012–2015

Hamnett

Ilett

Izzati

et al. 2017

Forensic Science International

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“…The association between DUIC and the risk of road traffic events was intensely studied before ( Williams et al, 1985 ; Ramaekers et al, 2004 ; Mura et al, 2006 ; Turner, 2007 ; Romano and Voas, 2011 ; Pickett et al, 2012 ; Poulsen et al, 2012 ; Li et al, 2013 ; Rossheim et al, 2014 ; Terry-McElrath et al, 2014 ; Urfer et al, 2014 ). There are several methods of assessing this association – from experimental studies aimed to measure the influence of THC on driving performance, to epidemiological, culpability, or case–control studies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Association of Unfavorable Traffic Events and Cannabis Usage: A Meta-Analysis

et al. 2018

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Background: In the last years were published many epidemiological articles aiming to link driving under the influence of cannabis (DUIC) with the risk of various unfavorable traffic events (UTEs), with sometimes contradictory results.Aim: The primary objective of this study was to analyze whether there is a significant association between DUIC and UTEs.Materials and Methods: We used two meta-analytical methods to assess the statistical significance of the effect size: random-effects model and inverse variance heterogeneity model.Results: Twenty-four studies were included in the meta-analysis. We obtained significant increases in the effect size for DUIC tested through blood analysis, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.97 and a confidence interval (CI) between 1.35 and 2.87; death as an outcome, with an OR of 1.56 and a CI between 1.16 and 2.09; and case–control as the type of study, with an OR of 1.99 and a CI between 1.05 and 3.80. Publication bias was very high.Conclusion: Our analysis suggests that the overall effect size for DUIC on UTEs is not statistically significant, but there are significant differences obtained through subgroup analysis. This result might be caused by either methodological flaws (which are often encountered in articles on this topic), the indiscriminate employment of the term “cannabis use,” or an actual absence of an adverse effect. When a driver is found, in traffic, with a positive reaction suggesting cannabis use, the result should be corroborated by either objective data regarding marijuana usage (like blood analyses, with clear cut-off values), or a clinical assessment of the impairment, before establishing his/her fitness to drive.

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“…Over the past 5 years, the NZ Police has reported increased numbers of kava “intoxicated” drivers (Morgan, ; Welsh, ). Further, NZ's Crown Research Institute, The Institute of Environmental Science and Research, report the increased presence of kavalactones in the blood of deceased motor vehicle accident victims (Poulsen, Moar, & Troncoso, ). By combining statistics on kava use from the NZ Alcohol and Drug Use Survey, with two ethnographic studies, it is argued that there are now more than 15,000 kava users driving motor vehicles following lengthy traditionally influenced kava drinking sessions on an average Friday or Saturday night in NZ (Aporosa, ).…”

Section: Kava and Cognition Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Kava drinking in traditional settings: Towards understanding effects on cognitive function

Aporosa

Atkins

Brunton

2020

Human Psychopharmacology

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Background Kava drinking is a tradition among Pacific Island people, although growing in popularity with other ethnicities. However, drinking substantial quantities of kava has raised concerns regarding physical manifestations of slow response and lack of precision in bodily control. These impairments can have significant consequences when after consuming large volumes of kava an individual makes a choice to drive. Aims The objective of this study was to measure selected cognitive functions following high traditionally consumed kava volumes (greater than 2,000 mg of kavalactones) aimed at identifying potential risks for kava drink‐drivers. Methods The reaction and divided attention of 20 control participants was assessed against 20 active kava‐drinking participants during and following a 6‐hr kava session in a “naturalised” setting. Assessment measures were drawn from Vienna Test System—Traffic's test battery. Results/Outcomes Results showed no statistical significant difference between control and active participants at any measurement point over a 6‐hr testing period regardless that the movements and speech of the active participants were observed to slow as the test session and kava consumption progressed. Conclusion Inconsistencies between test results and observations during testing and by road policing officers demonstrate an urgent need for more research in this field.

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The incidence of alcohol and other drugs in drivers killed in New Zealand road crashes 2004–2009

Cited by 28 publications

References 37 publications

Toxicological findings in driver and motorcyclist fatalities in Scotland 2012–2015

Toxicological findings in driver and motorcyclist fatalities in Scotland 2012–2015

The Association of Unfavorable Traffic Events and Cannabis Usage: A Meta-Analysis

Kava drinking in traditional settings: Towards understanding effects on cognitive function

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