The deadline for abstracts for the 14th International Conference on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety (T'97) has been extended to December 20. The major conference of ICADTS will be held in the city of Annecy, France from September 21-26, 1997. The scientific program will include such topics as: driving performance, roadside surveys, legislative strategies, epidemiology, measurement and screening, enforcement, prevention and rehabilitation programs. On the shores of the cleanest lake in Europe, surrounded by a scenic range of mountains, Annecy is a charming town in the Northern French Alps, 40 km from the Geneva International Airport. In addition to the scientific program, an extensive social program is also planned.
Authors will be notified of the approval of their proposed papers by January 31. Full papers are due by March 31, 1997. This will allow for publication of the conference proceedings prior to the conference.
To obtain the second and final announcement, the registration brochure and the abstract forms, contact the Conference Secretariat, c/o C.E.R.M.T, B.P. 132, 74004 Annecy Cedex, FRANCE, Tel: 33-4-50-45 61 79, Fax: 33-4-50-45 36 92 or the Reporter editors.
ICADTS recognizes long-term, outstanding contributions to the field of alcohol, drugs and traffic safety through its Widmark Awards. Individual Widmark Awards honor those who have made an outstanding, sustained and meritorious contribution to the field that has led to international standing and respect. Candidates must have an impressive record of accomplishments that signify preeminence in the field. Institutional Widmark Awards are conferred on outstanding non-governmental research organizations that have contributed to the advancement of science in areas related to alcohol, drugs and traffic safety.
The Widmark Awards Committee is pleased to invite nominations for individual and institutional awards. Recipients will receive their awards at T'97, the 14th International Conference on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety in Annecy France, in September.
Nominations for either award are to be submitted in writing to: Dr. Herb Simpson, Chair, Widmark Awards Committee, c/o Traffic Injury Research Foundation, Suite 200, 171 Nepean St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2P 0B4
Nominations must be made by a full member of ICADTS in good standing and seconded by a full member in good standing. Candidates can be nominated for their accomplishments in any of the following areas: behavioral toxicology, human psychopharmacology, forensic toxicology, epidemiology, law and law enforcement, technology, public information and education, public policy, legal medicine and social or behavioral sciences.
The letter of nomination must provide a summary of the credentials and achievements that make the candidate a suitable recipient of the Award. The letter must be signed by those making the nomination and must be accompanied by (1) a letter from the candidate -- or the duly authorized representative of the agency in the case of an institutional award -- certifying their acceptance of the nomination and (2) a complete, detailed curriculum vitae in the case of nominees for an individual award and relevant supporting documentation in the case of an institutional award.
All documentation for a nomination must be received by the Chair of the Widmark Committee on or before January 31, 1997.
Research has shown that injured drinking drivers most often escape arrest and conviction for impaired driving. (See related article in Reporter, Vol. 7, No. 2.) Why is this the case? At study designed to help answer this question was carried out recently by the Research Accident Investigation team at the University of Rochester, New York, under the direction of ICADTS member Rob Lillis. The study included discussions and focus groups with law enforcement officers from agencies throughout the Rochester area and around the state. Several factors were reported as leading to the low rate of arrest and conviction.
Recommendations for improving the arrest rate for impaired drivers included better training, better equipment (such as preliminary breath testing devices and automated information systems to reduce paperwork), better backup resources to alleviate the demands at the crash scene, special assistant district attorneys trained in impaired driving prosecution, special training for prosecutors, and making hospital records about blood tests admissible as evidence in trials.
For further information on this study, contact Rob Lillis, Research Accident Investigation Team, Department of Community and Preventive Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Box 644, Rochester, New York 14642; Tel: 716-275-0264; Email: lillis@prevmed.rochester.edu. See related story below. (Source: Stop Signs, Vol. 7, No. 2)
A study conducted by Northwestern University showed that of 625 drivers who received emergency medical treatment for crash injures, 32 percent were legally drunk, 23 percent were positive for drugs, and 10 percent had both alcohol and drugs in their system. Fewer than 12 percent of these drivers were cited for impaired driving. As a result of this kind of finding, the State of Illinois recently enacted a law allowing emergency room physicians to report the results of blood and urine tests to law enforcement agencies in cases that may involve alcohol and/or drug impaired drivers and reckless homicide. The law protects physicians and hospitals from liability that might result from such reporting. The office the Secretary of State of Illinois has assembled a work group to identify, develop, and establish model reporting procedures and training materials needed to capture and act on blood alcohol concentration and drug screen information gathered in emergency departments in the course of treating injured impaired drivers who have been involved in crashes. The reporting procedures and training materials will be used in the operation of a pilot program set to begin on January 1, 1997. See related story above. (Source: Safety Leads, Summer 1996)
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently released the highlights from its 1995 national survey on drinking and driving. These results were compared to similar surveys carried out in 1991 and 1993. Since 1991, the proportion of the driving age public who said that they drove after drinking declined from 28 percent in 1991 to 24 percent in 1995. Those who said that they had ridden with an impaired driver also declined from 15 to 11 percent. About two thirds of the driving public say that the maximum number of drinks that a designated driver should have is zero. Thirty percent said that one or more drinks would be acceptable for the designated driver. Over two-thirds of respondents supported the use of more sobriety checkpoints and one third aid that they had seen a checkpoint in operation in the last year. To receive a copy of the full report, National Survey of Drinking and Driving Attitudes and Behavior, 1995, write to the Office of Program Development and Evaluation, NHTSA, NTS-30, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington D.C. 20590; Fax 202-366-7096.
Former ICADTS President and Widmark Award winner, Robert F. Borkenstein was awarded the James J. Howard Highway Safety Trailblazer Award by the U.S. National Association of Governors Highway Safety Representatives (NAGHSR). The award was presented for his many years of innovative research, including the invention of the breathalyzer and the first speed measuring devices. He is well known as the principle investigator in "The Role of the Drinking Driver in Traffic Accidents -- The Grand Rapids Study," carried out in 1963. Dr. Borkenstein is a professor at Indiana University and has also received the Distinguished Service to Traffic Safety Award from the National Safety Council and the Minister's Award from the Government of Canada. The Trailblazer Award was presented in a ceremony at the NAGHSR Annual Meeting in September in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Swedish experience of relicensing drinking drivers was reviewed in a paper presented by ICADTS President-Elect Hans Laurell at T'95. In 1991, Sweden introduced requirements for drivers applying for licenses after having been sentenced for driving with a BAC of more than 0.15 percent. The driver is required to present to the licensing authority a certificate stating that he/she is not dependent upon alcohol or other drugs. This certificate can be obtained from a doctor after a minimum of three months observation. During this time the applicant has to see a doctor on a number of occasions; liver enzyme testing is applied. After this period, if no problems are found, the driver can obtain a conditional license. The conditional license lasts for 18 months, during which time the offender must see the doctor at least three times to prove that a relapse has not occurred. Concern was expressed when these requirements were implemented that fewer drivers would reapply for their licenses because of the additional costs to applicants and because they would be forced into treatment programs. Initial study of the requirements indicate that 21 percent of the drivers reapply, as compared to 39 percent prior to the introduction of the requirements. Both doctors and patients regard the new requirements as beneficial. The full paper is included in the T'95 proceedings.
A new study appearing in the September 1996 edition of the American Journal of Public Health, found that lowering all States' blood alcohol limits to 0.08 percent would reduce the number of US fatal, alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes by 500-600 per year. The study, conducted by ICADTS member, Ralph Hingson of Boston University School of Public Health, analyzed the first five States that lowered the legal BAC to 0.08 percent (Utah, Oregon, Maine, California and Vermont) and five nearby States that retained the 0.10 percent limit. Overall, the 0.08 percent States experienced a 16 percent reduction in the proportion of fatal crashes with a fatally injured driver whose BAC was 0.08 percent or higher, as well as an 18 percent reduction in such crashes with a fatally injured driver whose BAC was 0.15 percent or higher. All of the 0.08 percent States also had administrative license revocation laws, which have been associated with 5 percent declines in fatal crashes and which may enhance the effects of the 0.08 percent BAC. Fourteen States currently have a BAC of 0.08 percent. To obtain a copy of the full paper, Lowering State Legal Blood Alcohol Limits to 0.08%: The Effect on Fatal Motor Vehicle Crashes, contact the American Public Health Association at Fax: 202-789-5681.
Senior police officers in England recently called for a cut in the drink-drive limit from 80 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of blood to 50 mg (0.08 percent to 0.05 percent). They said that attitudes had hardened towards drinking and driving since the breathalyser was introduced 25 years ago. The reduction was urged by the Traffic Committee of the Association of Chief Police Officers and follows a similar call for a cut in the limit from the medical profession and road safety campaigners. Traffic Committee Chairman David Williams, Chief Constable of Surrey, said, "The 50 mg limit would save lives and be acceptable to the public". Transport Minister John Bowis described the 80 mg level as fair and indicated there would be no change in the foreseeable future. (Source: CADD Newsletter 32, October, 1996 from the August 15, 1996 Daily Express)
The American public overwhelmingly supports strong Federal and State involvement in highway and auto safety, especially in areas that affect youth, according to a new Louis Harris poll released in September. The Harris poll measured public opinion on a broad spectrum of leading State and Federal highway and auto safety concerns. The survey shows that despite the conventional wisdom that Americans want the Federal government "off their backs," 87 percent feel it is important to have Federal involvement in areas of highway safety. "In an era marked by a rush to turn over many substantive areas of governing and regulation to the States and localities, highway and auto safety stands out as a significant exception to the rule," Harris said. "This is one area where the establishment had better listen carefully."
Among the survey findings were the following:
The independent survey of a national cross-section of 1,000 people nationwide was conducted for the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. For additional information about the survey and the Kids, Cars and Crashes campaign, kicked off with the release of the survey, contact Advocates at 1-800-659-2247, or on the internet at http\\www.saferoads.org. (Source: September 3, 1996 Advocates press release)
On June 7, 1996, Federal, State and Territory Transport Ministers endorsed the 1996 National Road Safety Action Plan and Australia's Rural Road Safety Action Plan. The new 1996 National Action Plan, based on the strategic objectives of the National Road Safety Strategy and the 1994 Action Plan, provides new focus and direction for integrated road safety planning on a nation-wide basis. The 1996 National Action Plan's 10 priorities place specific emphasis on rural and remote areas, promoting police enforcement with publicity as a road safety measure, and increasing compliance with speed limits. The 1996 Action Plan addresses the more difficult road safety issues on the national agenda including urban speed, alcohol interlocks, drink driving enforcement, driver fatigue, and improved safety for young drivers and vulnerable road users.
Australia's National Rural Road Safety Action Plan recognizes that crash reductions in rural and remote areas have not matched those in metropolitan areas. It acknowledges that people in rural areas are at higher risk, recognizes that rural communities are important and that their needs are special. The Commonwealth has committed itself to an all out effort over the next 3 years to reducing road deaths and serious injuries, particularly on country roads and in country towns. The Commonwealth will also undertake a major public education program which will continue to highlight drink driving, fatigue and speeding issues. (Source: The FORS Report, No. 10, August, 1996)
December 8-13, 1996
Tests for BAC in Highway Safety Programs -- Supervision and Expert Testimony (Including an update on Workplace Testing) - Bloomington, IN, USA
Contact: Center for Studies of Law in Action, Indiana University, Sycamore Hall 302, Bloomington, IN 47405, Tel: 812-855-1783, Fax: 812-855-7542.
January 12-16, 1997
76th Annual Meeting of the U.S. Transportation Research Board - Washington, D.C., USA
Contact: Dr. Richard Pain, Tel: 202-334-2960, Fax: 202-334-2003.
June 6-12, 1997
Lifesavers 15 - National Conference on Highway Safety Priorities - Orlando, Florida, USA
Contact: Lifesavers Conference, P.O. Box 30045, Alexandria, VA 22310, USA, Fax: 703-922-7944
September 21-25, 1997
T'97 -- The 14th International Conference on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety - Annecy, France
Contact: T'97 Secretariat at CERMT, BP 132, 74004 Annecy Cedex, France, Tel: 33-4-50-45 61 79, Fax: 33-4-50-45 36 92. See related article