A Review of the Safety Hazard Due to Poor Health, Drugs, and Their Interaction

Abstract

Accident-involved drivers consist of two separate population groups; those involved in fatal accidents and those involved in non-fatal accidents. One of the principle characteristics of the fatal accident group is the lower accident survival rate (ASR) and is likely to be improved by the use of therapeutic drugs. In the non-fatal group impaired driving performance is the most significant hazard. Some of the therapeutic drugs, specifically those that depress the central nervous system, tend to impair driving performance. This is likely to lead to daytime, non-fatal accidents. Chronic alcoholism is likely to lead to health impairment and lowered accident survival rate, and acute alcoholism is likely to impair driving performance.