The jubilee conference of ICADTS, T2000 in Stockholm Sweden took place May 21-26. More than 200 scientific papers were presented. Conference proceedings were distributed at the conference. For those who could not attend this very informative conference, the presented papers will be available on the conference web site: www.icadts2000.com. In addition, the proceedings will be available on CD and in hard copy.
Dr. Robert B. Voas of the US received the prestigious Widmark Award, and the gold medal that accompanies the award, at a special ceremony at the jubilee conference of the International Council on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety held in Stockholm, Sweden in May. Dr. Voas, a former President of ICADTS, is a Senior Research Scientist with the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation. He is one the most respected and prolific researchers in the field, with a long and distinguished career.
The Widmark Award was established in honor of Professor Erik M. P. Widmark and is the highest honor that ICADTS can confer on individuals and organizations who have made outstanding contributions to our basic knowledge of the effects of alcohol and other mood-altering drugs on traffic safety.
With memories still fresh from the very successful T2000 conference in Stockholm, it is not to early to mark your calendars for the 16th International Conference on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety, T2002, to be held in Montreal from August 4-9, 2002. The 16th ICADTS Conference will be held in the Palais des Congrès de Montréal convention centre. It will build on acquired knowledge to push ahead with greater scientific understanding of the field and seek to spur efforts to reduce impaired driving.
The event will also provide conference participants with the opportunity to experience Montréal's dazzling lifestyle. Mix together its skyscrapers, Victorian townhouses, châteaux and the world's second largest botanical garden. Put it on an island, a mountain park at its center, add over 3 million fun loving citizens and you get our international, cosmopolitan conference venue. The conference convener is Jean-Yves Gagnon, Chairman and CEO of Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec. Visit the ICADTS website or the special conference website at: www.saaq.gouv.qc.ca/t2002 for additional information.
A recent article in Epidemiological Reviews presents a comprehensive review of research on the relationship of cannabis use and motor vehicle crashes. The article was written by Michael N. Bates and Tony A. Blakely of the Institute of Environmental Science and Research at the Kenepuru Science Centre, Poriru, New Zealand. The authors addressed a variety of issues regarding the cannabis use and traffic safety, including:
The authors report that cannabis has impairing effects on a wide variety of tasks, including driving. Experimental studies of driving behavior show impairment of driving ability, but that cannabis-using drivers are aware that they are impaired and compensate by driving more cautiously. This type of behavior is in contrast to alcohol-impaired drivers, who tend to underestimate their level of impairment. In reviewing studies of alcohol crashes, the authors conclude:
(Source: Epidemiological Review, Volume 21, No. 2, 1999)
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently released a report entitled Literature Review of DWI Laws in Other Countries. This report, written by ICADTS member Kathryn Stewart, provides information on impaired driving laws and policies in 24 industrialized countries. It includes descriptions of:
The report also discusses the impact of international trade agreements on laws and policies regarding impaired driving as well as cultural and attitudinal differences among countries relevant to impaired driving laws.
A paper summarizing the report is available in the T2000 proceedings. Copies of the full report can be obtained from Office of Research and Traffic Records, NHTSA, NTS-31, 400 Seventh St., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590, fax 202-366-7096, or download from the web: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov.
New officers have been elected by postal ballot by the members of ICADTS. The new officers assume their positions at the conclusion of T2000 in Stockholm and serve three-year terms. Four of the Board positions carry forward from the last election. Barry Sweedler of the USA becomes President. Elisabeth Wells-Parker of the USA becomes Secretary. Charles Mercier-Guyon of France becomes Treasurer and Hans Laurell of Sweden becomes Past President, with duties as chair of the Widmark Award, Membership and Nominating Committees. Johan de Gier of the Netherlands was elected President Elect. Mary Sheehan of Australia was elected Assistant Treasurer and Daniel Mayhew of Canada, Assistant Secretary. Inger Marie Bernholt of Denmark and Günter Berghaus of Germany were elected Executive Board members-at-large. Andrew Clayton of the UK and Allan Williams of the USA continue their terms as the remaining Board members.
Leaving the Executive Board after many years of service are Jack McLean of Australia (Past President), Wolf-Rüdiger Nickel of Germany (Treasurer), Carol Council of the USA (Secretary) and James A Dunbar of the UK and James Hedlund of the USA (Members-at-large).
A recent study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that of the 5,555 child passengers younger than 15 years old killed in alcohol-related crashes during 1985-1996, 64% were riding in the vehicle with the drinking driver. The driver was typically old enough to be the child's parent or caregiver. Fatality rates for child passengers killed while being transported by a drinking driver declined from 1985 through 1990 but remained virtually unchanged from 1991-1996.
The study also found that child restraint use was very low - 18% as compared with 30.5% for children killed in crashes where the driver was not drinking. In fact, the drinking driver was more likely to be buckled up than was the child. More than 25% of the drinking drivers wore seat belts. Not surprisingly, as the blood alcohol level of the child's driver increased, child restraint use decreased.
The authors suggest several strategies to deter individuals from drinking and driving with children in the vehicle, including the adoption of lower legal blood alcohol limits for drivers transporting children, reevaluation of current child endangerment laws, and strict enforcement of existing child safety seat laws and passage of primary seat belt laws.
An article reporting on the study appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association, May 3, 2000. The authors are Kyran Quinlan, Robert Brewer, David Sleet, and Ann Dellinger.
The State of New Mexico has had a long history of high rates of alcohol-related fatal crashes as compared to the rest of the United States. In 1993, New Mexico passed legislation to strengthen their DWI laws and create a stronger anti-DWI environment. A recent study, funded by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), evaluates the effectiveness of this legislative package.
The legislation included:
An interrupted time series approach was used to evaluate the impact of the overall program. Analysis showed a reduction in drunk driving fatal crashes of more than 19 percent. While this reduction was dramatic, it was not statistically significant, most likely because New Mexico's population is relatively small, yielding a modest sample size. Analysis of crash trends in surrounding states found a reduction of less than 4 percent.
For a copy of Evaluation of Changes in New Mexico's Anti-DWI Efforts, write to the Office of Research and Traffic Records, NHTSA, NTS-31, 400 Seventh St., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590, fax 202-366-7096, or download from the web: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently released a report summarizing the scientific literature since 1990 addressing drivers who have been convicted more than once of an impaired driving offense. Data from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System suggest that 2-3 percent of those in all fatal crashes in the US (including both alcohol-related and non-alcohol-related) were repeat offenders. Data from California suggest that the percentage of repeat offenders in fatal alcohol-related crashes could be more in the 8 percent range. One surprising finding in the report is that there is a relatively small practical difference in the average blood alcohol concentration of repeat offenders as compared to first offenders (.18 as compared to .16). The report discusses research on the effectiveness of various sanctions in reducing recidivism. The report also suggests areas for additional research.
For a copy of State of Knowledge of Alcohol-Impaired Driving Research on Repeat DWI Offenders, write to the Office of Research and Traffic Records, NHTSA, NTS-31, 400 Seventh St., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590, fax 202-366-7096, or download from the web: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov.
A study appearing in the Journal of Traffic Medicine reports on the incidence of alcohol involvement in fatal traffic crashes in the Istanbul region of Turkey. The researchers, S. Sözen, B. Tüzün, and S. Korur Fincanci of the Department of Forensic Medicine of the Istanbul Medical Facility, examined the autopsy results of those killed in traffic crashes in the Istanbul region between 1994-1996. Of the 407 cases reviewed, 89 or 21.9% were positive for alcohol.
Fifty of the 89 persons killed were drivers. All but one of the 50 drivers had a BAC of .10% or above. The legal limit in Turkey is .05%. In Turkey, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that in 1991, 141,967 traffic crashes occurred killing 6,299 people. Crashes and fatalities for 1992 and 1993 were 171,741 (6,214) and 213,220 (6,390) respectively. (Source: Journal of Traffic Medicine, Vol. 27, No. 3-4, 1999)
Results of a roadside survey investigating the drug and alcohol use of motorists in the Netherlands was recently released by SWOV, the Institute for Road Safety Research. The survey was conducted among a representative sample of 26 research areas on Friday and Saturday nights between 10:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. during 1997 and 1998. Motorists were stopped at random along the road and were asked to cooperate on a voluntary basis. Cooperating motorists were interviewed about their drug use and were asked to produce a urine sample for two-stage laboratory analysis. The first stage screened for amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine, opiates, methadone, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and tricyclic anti-depressants. The second stage confirmed positive results.
A total of 1,249 motorists were asked to participate. Of them, 128 refused. From 228 subjects, it was not possible to obtain a urine sample, although these subjects were interviewed and, if asked underwent a sweat test. Of the 893 urine samples obtained, 6.4%appeared to be positive for dugs: 1% for licit drugs and 5.4% for illicit drugs, in most cases cannabis or a combination of cannabis and other illicit drugs. Among male drivers aged 18 to 25, more than one in seven tested positive, with 75% of these cases positive for cannabis. Of the motorists tested positive for drugs, 21% also had a positive BAC. Of the motorists who tested negative for drugs, only .4% had a positive BAC. Thus, driving under the influence of drugs correlates strongly with drink-driving.
A secondary purpose of the survey was to examine the usefulness of a device for the detection of cannabis and amphetamines in sweat. The device, trademarked Drugwipe, was found to be quite insensitive and frequently showed negative results for motorists whose urine samples indicated the presence of these drugs.
The SWOV report, No. 99.5, was prepared by R. Mathijssen.
A new international journal that promotes safety through injury epidemiology, research and practice has been initiated. The journal, Injury Control and Safety Promotion, publishes articles concerning all phases of injury control, including prevention, acute care and rehabilitation. It publishes original full-length articles, reviews short reports and will include a news section. All papers will be subject to rigorous peer review prior to publication. Editors-in-Chief of the journal are Wim Rogmans, Consumer Safety Institute, The Netherlands and Mark L. Rosenberg, The Collaborative Center for Child Well-Being, USA
More information about submitting papers or subscribing to the journal can be obtained from Swets and Zeitlinger Publishers at telephone (31)252-435111 or fax (31)252-415888 in The Netherlands or telephone 610-524-5355 or toll-free 800-447-5355 or fax 610-524-5366 in the United States. Or consult the website at www.szp.swets.nl.
Membership in ICADTS is open to individuals working in the field of alcohol, drugs and traffic safety. Those interested in becoming members must be nominated by two current ICADTS members and approved by a vote of the ICADTS Executive Board. To receive information on ICADTS membership, check the ICADTS Web Site or contact ICADTS Secretary Elizabeth Wells-Parker, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762 USA, Tel: 601-325-7959, Fax: 601-325-7966, Email: bwparker@ssrc.msstate.edu. Current dues for ICADTS are $60 per year.
June 11-14, 2000
Alcohol Policy 12-Washington, DC, USA
The conference's theme is Alcohol an Crime, Research and Practice fro Prevention. Driving under the influence and underage dringing will be a focus. For information, contact the Natioal Crime Prevention Council, Tel: 202-261-4165, Fax: 202-785-2134, web site: www.ncpc.org/alcoholpolicy.
September 3-7, 2000
43rd ICAA International Institute on the Prevention and Treatment of Dependencies-Bahrain
Contact ICAA, Case postale 189, CH 1001 Lausanne, Switzerland, Fax: 41 21 320 98 17, Email: icaa@pingnet.ch
September 4-7, 2000
International Conference on Traffic and Transport Psychology-Berne Switzerland
To submit an abstract or for information, contact ICTTP, c/o Swiss Council for Accident Prevention, Laupenstrasse 11, PO Box 8236, CH-3001 Berne, Switzerland, Tel: 41-31-390-22 22, Fax: 41-31-390-22 30, Email: icttp@bfu.ch.
October 1-4, 2000
44th Annual Scientific Conference of the AAAM-Chicago, IL, USA
Contact AAAM in Chicago at Tel: 847-30-8927, Email: AAAM@aol.com.
January 7-11, 2001
80th Annual Meeting of the U.S. Transportation Research Board-Washington, DC USA
Special alcohol and drug sessions will be featured. Contact Dr. Richard Pain, Tel: 202-334-2960, Fax: 202-334-2003, Email: rpain@nas.edu.
August 4-9, 2002
16th International Conference on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety, T2002-Montréal, Québec, Canada
For information visit the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec website at www.saaq.gouv.qc.ca/t2002.