Fatal road accidents in Spain: psychoactive substances in killed drivers in 2014

Throughout the world, road traffic accidents (RTAs) and their consequences are studied to help develop new prevention and enforcement policies. Impaired driving among drunk or intoxicated drivers is a social and public health problem recognised worldwide and the presence of alcohol and drugs in drivers has been found to be frequent and the cause of fatal outcomes. According to US National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA), in 2008, 18% of drivers killed in traffic accidents tested positive for drugs, an increase from 13% in 2005 (NHTSA 2010). Between 1993-2010, the Fatal Analysis Reporting System (FARS) database showed that 11.4% were tested for drugs [1]. Alcohol was present in 52.4% of all drugged drivers and prescription drugs accounted for a high fraction 46.5%. Nevertheless there is a general problem with US data because few states analyse drugs in blood samples from fatally injured drivers, so the total number included in the FARS database is low.