Forekomst av alkohol og andre rusmidler i blodprøver fra førere involvert i trafikkulykker

Abstract

SAMMENDRAG

Bilkjøring stiller store krav til førernes sansing, oppmerksomhet, informasjonsbearbeiding og evne til å

reagere. Førere som er under innflytelse av sentralnervøst aktive stoffer, vil derfor være en potensiell fare i

trafikken. I perioden 1.8–31.12. 1993 identifiserte Statens rettstoksikologiske institutt (SRI) 394 ulykkesførere

som politiet hadde rekvirert analyser av med hensyn på narkotiske stoff/sentralnervøst aktive medikamenter

(andre rusmidler) og/eller alkohol. Blodprøver fra disse førerne ble analysert med hensyn på alkohol og et

utvidet repertoar av andre rusmidler ved SRI. Da polititjenestemenn og medtrafikanter ofte ikke vil oppdage

påvirkning av andre rusmidler enn alkohol, dels pga. manglende alkohollukt, vil andre rusmidler som ulykkesårsak

være noe underrepresentert i dette materialet sammenliknet med alkohol. Hos 299 av ulykkesførerne

ble det påvist alkohol og/eller andre rusmidler. 44 førere hadde tatt inn både alkohol og andre rusmidler, mens

alkohol og andre rusmidler ble påvist alene i henholdsvis 204 og 51 saker. Totalt ble benzodiazepiner,

cannabis, opiater og amfetamin påvist i henholdsvis 54, 30, 17 og 16 saker. Av de 95 som hadde tatt inn andre

rusmidler, hadde 34 tatt inn mer enn ett rusmiddel (alkohol ikke medregnet) og i 72 av tilfellene ble analysefunnene

vurdert (AB og JM) til sannsynligvis å ha gitt sentralnervøs påvirkning. Risikoøkningen for trafikkulykke

ved nylig bruk av cannabisstoffer og diazepam i høydose ble estimert til å kunne tilsvare en blodalkoholkonsentrasjon

på 1-1,5 promille. Alkohol er det rusmiddel som oftest påvises hos ulykkesførere, men

forekomsten av benzodiazepiner, cannabis og amfetamin er såvidt høy blant ulykkesførere at disse stoffene

må anses å være et alvorlig trafikksikkerhetsproblem.

Bjørneboe A, Beylich K-M, Christophersen AS, Fosser S, Glad A, Mørland J.

Prevalence of alcohol and other intoxicants in blood samples from drivers involved in road traffic

accidents.

ENGLISH SUMMARY

Illegal and some legal drugs affect the central nervous system and drivers who use such drugs may represent a

hazard in the road traffic. The prevalence of such drugs among drivers involved in accidents depends on the

increase of the accident risk due to the drug and on the prevalence of the drugs among drivers on the road. In

this study we have examined blood samples from 394 drivers involved in road traffic accidents during the

period August–December 1993, to determine the prevalence of alcohol and drugs among drivers involved in

accidents. Most of the drivers enrolled in the study were suspected by the police of driving under the influence

of alcohol or drugs. The data are, however, probably somewhat biased, because drivers influenced by alcohol

or drugs will, if possible, avoid contact with the police. Furthermore, the police's ability to detect drivers

influenced by drugs is limited. Accordingly, the proportion of influenced drivers and especially drivers influenced

by drugs could be too low compared with the proportion among all drivers involved in traffic accidents.

In about 2/3 of the blood samples examined, alcohol was found either alone or together with other drugs,

and in 1/4 of the cases drugs were found either alone or together with alcohol. The most prevalent drugs were

benzodiazepines (13.7%), cannabis (7.5%), opiates (4.3%) and amphetamine (4.1%). In about 3/4 of the drug

positive cases the drug concentration was so high that it was considered likely or very likely that the driver

was influenced by the drug(s). The bias due to the police's inability to detect all drivers influenced by drugs

50

A. BJØRNEBOE OG MEDARBEIDERE

was estimated. After correction for this bias it was estimated that at least 2.7% of drivers involved in injury

accidents will have significant concentrations of drugs in the blood and at least 4.4% will have significant

blood alcohol concentrations.

Based on various sources of drug use in Norway we arrived at rough estimates of increase in risk of being

involved in road traffic accidents after different drug intakes. Driving a car the first few hours after cannabis

intake may increase the risk for an accident comparable to the risk involved when driving with a blood

alcohol concentration in the range 1.0 - 1.5 per mill. High doses of diazepam intake will most likely increase

the risk of an accident in the same order of magnitude.

We conclude that drunken drivers still constitute the main problem with regard to influenced driving on

Norwegian roads. Nevertheless, the relatively high frequency of drivers influenced by drugs among those

involved in accidents, demonstrates that these drivers are a serious safety problem.

Nor J Epidemiol 1996; 6 (1): 49-56.