Many of those surveyed acknowledged that driving with alcohol in their systems is dangerous. But the same people had a completely different attitude towards drug-driving.
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OXFORD, U.K.: Nearly half of cocaine users drive after taking drugs, says a new study, many believing it refreshes them for the road after a night of partying.
An internet-based survey of Dutch party goers including 1,830 social drinkers and 1,681 recreational cocaine users with a valid driving licence, found that 40% of cocaine users drive a car after taking the drug.
The results of the survey were presented this week at a British Association of Psychopharmacology meeting, in Oxford, England.
Risky driving
Many of those surveyed acknowledged that driving with alcohol in their systems is dangerous. But the same people had a completely different attitude towards drug-driving. Some participants believed that cocaine counteracted the sedative effects of alcohol.
"Thanks to public campaigns, many users are aware that driving with alcohol is not OK, but said they felt more alert after taking cocaine and that it prevented them from falling asleep," said Joris Verster of Utrecht University in the Netherlands, lead researcher behind the study.
Cocaine made users over-confident and more likely to take risks when driving. "It did not appear to be obvious to them that this could cause accidents," said Verster.
"We found they over-estimate their driving skills, have increased alertness and reaction speeds which results in speeding and overtaking when it is irresponsible."
Testing drivers for illicit drugs
Figures from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for novice young drivers suggests that up to 15% of road accidents involve illicit drugs compared to 40% with alcohol.
"This figure on drug-driving is likely to be an underestimation because if alcohol is found, in most cases no further drug testing is done," added Verster.
Testing for illicit drug use while driving is still in development for many drugs. The European DRUID project is comparing different bodily fluids as the basis of testing. "They hope to use sweat, saliva, or urine, to come up with a similar easy-to-use and valid method like breath testing for alcohol," continued Verster.
Gavin Reynolds, professor of neuroscience at the University of Belfast, in Northern Ireland, and president of the British Association of Psychopharmacology believes public information and understanding is key.
"Unlike alcohol which has a sedative effect, people on cocaine mistakenly think they can drive better. It's hard to monitor drug levels at the roadside so in the absence of this we need better public campaigns to make sure people understand the risks."
