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Guidelines for research on drugged driving
J Michael Walsh1, Alain G Verstraete, Marilyn A Huestis
1The Walsh Group, PA, Bethesda, MD, USA. jmwalsh@walshgroup.org
Addiction (Abingdon, England)
|October 16, 2008
Summary
Standardized guidelines for drugged driving research were developed to address inconsistent methodologies. These international standards aim to improve data comparability and enhance the public health impact assessment of drug-impaired driving.
Area of Science:
- Traffic Safety Research
- Public Health
- Forensic Toxicology
Background:
- Significant variability in parameters, analytical techniques, and drugs tested hinders comparable drugged driving research.
- Lack of standardization across global studies limits the scientific value and public health impact assessment of drug-impaired driving.
- International organizations initiated a project to develop harmonized guidelines for drugged driving research.
Framework:
- A consensus report establishing guidelines, standards, and core data variables for international research was developed.
- A modified Delphi method was employed to create draft guidelines.
- Draft guidelines underwent global online review, with feedback integrated into the final document.
Implementation:
- The Guidelines Document is structured into three sections: behavior, epidemiology, and toxicology.
- Specific recommendations are provided for various research aspects, including roadside surveys, prevalence studies, and crash investigations.
- The document details 32 recommendations for behavior, 40 for epidemiology, and 64 for toxicology.
Implications:
- The developed guidelines are expected to significantly enhance the quality of drugged driving research.
- Implementation of these standards will facilitate robust national and global cross-study comparisons.
- Improved research quality and comparability will lead to a better understanding of the public health impact of drug-impaired driving.
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