PACTS and ETSC have launched their new report into Preventing Drug Driving in Europe at the European Parliament in Brussels today (8th March 2017).
500 people a week die on European roads; 26,000 annually. Drug driving is responsible for a significant share of deaths. Psychoactive drugs are detected in around 15% of killed and seriously injured drivers. Between 3 and 16% of drivers say they have driven under the influence of drugs within the last 12 months. The EU average is 11%.
The effects of different psychoactive drugs are complex and varied. However the overwhelming majority have the same net effect, which is a decrease in the quality of mental and physiological effort dedicated to the driving task, which sees a decrease in performance and an increase in the risk of involvement in a collision.
Commenting on the report, Antonio Avenoso, Executive Director of ETSC said:
“Drug driving destroys thousands of lives every year. It’s a complex problem, but one that must nevertheless be tackled. Technology can help, but enforcement, rehabilitation and research are also vital to understanding and tackling this evolving challenge. Governments can learn from each other, and the EU also has a role to play in promoting common standards, better data collection and research.”
The report builds on the in-depth DRUID (Driving Under the Influence of Drugs) project and is aimed at policy makers in the UK and wider Europe. The full report, which can be downloaded below, looks at the current drug driving situation in Europe and a range of policy measures for national and EU action. It also considers the recent changes to UK drug driving.
You can download the full report here.
