Drug and Driving: A Compendium of Research Studies

Annotated Sources (cont'd)

Norway (cont'd)

48. Christopherson, A. S. and Mørland, J. (1997)

Drugged driving, a review based on the experience in Norway. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 47: 125-135.

Overview

The incidence of drugged driving in Norway is discussed as well as compared to other countries. Apprehended, injured, and fatally injured driver research is reviewed

Type of study, population(s) and proportion tested

Literature review

Drugs examined (threshold values for detection)
Findings (including statistical methods)

Apprehended drivers in Norway
1995 – 67% detected with one or more drugs other than alcohol

Cannabis, amphetamine, benzodiazepines, and morphine most common

60% with multi-drug detections (90% in 1992)

For 15 years, cannabis, amphetamine, and benzodiazepines most prevalent as well as more frequent heroin use

Benzodiazepines generally not taken according to recommended dose, often in combination with other drugs or alcohol, and more frequently found in females

Norway compared to other countries
Drug driving appears to be a larger (7-fold) problem in Norway than in other countries, however, drug problem not considered higher

This could be due to:

Fatally Injured

Norway – 16% with drugs only: benzodiazepines and cannabis most common (1989-1990)

Australia – 22% with drugs only: cannabis, amphetamines, and
Benzodiazepines most common (1990-1993)

USA – 7-30% with drugs only: cannabis and cocaine most
Common (1986-1989)

Canada – 26% with drugs only: cannabis, cocaine, and amphetamines most common (1982)

Norway injured drivers
Drugs alone in 10-13% of cases with benzodiazepines and amphetamines most common

Risk for injury accident with high dose benzodiazepines increased by a factor of 19, and, with amphetamine and cannabis, a factor of 10

49. Gjerde, H., Beylich, K., and Mørland, J. (1993)

Incidence of alcohol and drugs in fatally injured car drivers in Norway. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 25: 479-483.

Overview

Small study of fatally injured drivers in Norway

Type of study, population(s) and proportion tested

159 fatally injured drivers in Norway

Time period of 1989 to 1990

Drugs examined (threshold values for detection)
Method of testing and medium used

Blood samples

Other dependent variables

None

Findings (including statistical methods)

Alcohol alone in 21% of cases

Drugs alone in 9% of cases

Combination of alcohol and drugs in 8% of cases

For those positive cases, most frequently found drugs were benzodiazepines and cannabinoids

Prevalence of alcohol and drugs was higher for those involved in single-vehicle accidents (42% and 22%, respectively) than multiple-vehicle

50. Mørland, J., Ripel, Å., and Øgaard, T. (2002)

Methadone detections in blood samples from apprehended drugged drivers. In D. R. Mayhew and C. Dussault (Eds.) Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety. Quebec: Société de l’Assurance Automobile du Québec.

Overview

Study of suspected drugged drivers in Norway

Type of study, population(s) and proportion tested

Suspected drugged driver toxicology results analyzed and all methadone positive cases were identified

Methadone positive cases between 2000 and 2002 analyzed (n=104)

Time period of 1997-2002

Drugs examined

Methadone of main interest

Morphine, heroin, cannabis, amphetamine, methamphetamine, benzodiazepines, and cocaine also mentioned

Method of testing and medium used

Blood sample information from the National Institute of Forensic Toxicology

Other dependent variables
Findings (including statistical methods)

Number of positive cases for one or more non-alcohol drugs rose from 2927 in 1997 to 4029 n 2001

Number of methadone positive cases rose from 3 in 1997 to 69 in 2001 (over 20-fold)

Of the 104 methadone positive cases from 2000 to 2002, 97% were positive for other drugs (though the concentration of methadone was roughly the same despite the presence of other drugs)

Benzodiazepines the most common in combination with methadone (72% of cases), then morphine (mostly attributable to heroin) (35%), then cannabis (31%), then amphetamine (25%)

Methamphetamine and cocaine also found in combination, but in a small number of cases

51. Skurtveit, S., Christopherson, A. S., and Mørland, J. (1999)

Increase in driving under the influence of amphetamine. Journal of Traffic Medicine 27: 17-24.

Overview

Study of amphetamine use among suspected drugged drivers in Norway

Type of study, population(s) and proportion tested

753 amphetamine positive cases (from suspected drugged driver info from the National Institute of Forensic Toxicology in Oslo, Norway)

Time period of 1995

Drugs examined
Method of testing and medium used

Blood samples from suspected drugged drivers

Other dependent variables

None

Findings (including statistical methods)

Amphetamine use increased from 14% in 1991 to 30% in 1995

Majority of amphetamine positive cases also positive for other drugs:

71% of these drivers were arrested previously during the period of 1984 to 1995

Drug of use, at that time, was generally "weaker" (alcohol or cannabinoids)

Movement towards "harder" drugs