§ 22. Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the dangers posed by road users who are under the influence of medicinal drugs. [8764]
§ Mr. BowisSome prescribed and over-the-counter medications may impair driving skills. However others, if taken as advised, will improve driving performance by removing the adverse effects of the medical condition. A 1989 study by the Transport Research Laboratory found that the incidence of medicinal drugs in fatal accidents was six times lower than that of alcohol. We recently began a further three-year survey of road fatalities to update our knowledge in this area.