§ Ms JowellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what statistics are collated on the link between road traffic accidents and(a) prescribed, (b) non-prescribed and (c) illegal drugs. [16929]
§ Mr. BowisNational statistics on the link between road traffic accidents and drugs are not collected on a routine basis.
A large study by the Transport Research Laboratory—1,273 casualties-which reported in 1989 showed that, in fatal accidents to all road users, the incidence of alcohol, at any level—35 per cent.—was over six times higher than that of prescription drugs—5.5 per cent. Illegal drugs, such as cannabis, were present in lower proportions—2.9 per cent. of cases.
We recently began a further three-year survey of drugs in road fatalities to update our knowledge in this area.