ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Page Count: 12

The Prevalence of Drugs and Alcohol in Fatally Injured Truck Drivers
Rollins, DE
Assistant Director and Research Instructor of Pharmacology and Toxicology; and Director, and Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Center for Human Toxicology, University of Utah, UT

Crouch, DJ
Assistant Director and Research Instructor of Pharmacology and Toxicology; and Director, and Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Center for Human Toxicology, University of Utah, UT

Walsh, JM
Executive Director, President's Drug Advisory Council, DC

Moulden, JV
President, Transportation Safety Associates, MD

Quinlan, KE
Chemist/Toxicologist and Alcohol Program Coordinator, National Transportation Safety Board, DC

Birky, MM
Chemist/Toxicologist and Alcohol Program Coordinator, National Transportation Safety Board, DC

Beckel, RW
University of Arkansas College of Medicine, AR

Gust, SW
Research Psychologist, National Institute on Drug Abuse, MD

(Received 11 January 1993; accepted 23 April 1993)

Abstract

To assess the impact of alcohol and other drug use in the trucking industry, the National Transportation Safety Board, in collaboration with The National Institute on Drug Abuse investigated fatal-to-the-driver trucking accidents in eight states over a one year period.

Comprehensive drug screens were performed on blood specimens collected from 168 fatally injured drivers. One or more drugs were detected in 67% of the drivers and 33% of the drivers had detectable blood concentrations of psychoactive drugs or alcohol. The most prevalent drugs were cannabinoids and ethanol, each found in 13% of the drivers. Cocaine or benzoylecgonine was found in 8% of the cases. Seven percent of the driver's blood specimens contained amphetamine or methamphetamine and 7% contained phenylpropanolamine, ephedrine, or pseudoephedrine.

A panel of toxicologists reviewed the accident investigation report and the toxicology findings for each case and determined that impairment due to marijuana use was a factor in all cases where the delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol concentration exceeded 1.0 ng/mL and that alcohol impairment contributed to all accidents where the blood alcohol concentration was 0.04% wt/vol or greater. In 50 of 56 cases where psychoactive drugs or alcohol were found, impairment due to substance use contributed to the fatal accident.

Keywords:
toxicology, ethanol, cocaine, THC, THC-COOH, caffeine, impairment, fatal-to-the-driver trucking crashes, accidental death

Paper ID: JFS13538J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS13538J
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