[Responsibility of psychotropic drugs in road accidents]

Serum concentrations of psychotropic drugs were measured in 363 drivers injured in road accidents and admitted to the emergency department of Angers regional university hospital. The figures obtained were correlated to the presumed responsibility of each driver in the accident. Benzodiazepines and phenobarbitone were found in the serum of 39 drivers, and responsibility was significantly increased in this group. The role played by these medicines in road accidents has often been alluded to in the literature, but the value of these previous studies was limited by the lack of quantitative assays. Measuring serum concentrations has permitted a more accurate analysis of the relationship between responsibility for road accident and consumption of psychotropic drugs, including barbiturates. This has prompted the authors to organize a regional information campaign intended for the general public and doctors and aimed at drawing attention to the higher risk of accident among road users taking these drugs.