This application seeks funding to take advantage of a unique opportunity provided by a $6 million National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) program to conduct the first-ever case-controlled study of the relative risk of drugged driving. That study will recruit 2,500 crash-involved drivers and 5,000 comparison drivers to participate in roadside interviews that will collect breath tests for BAC and oral fluid and blood samples to identify drug involvement. NHTSA has contracted with PIRE to conduct the drug risk study, providing an opportunity for using it as a framework for adding-on a study of the relative risk of crash involvement of drivers with alcohol use disorders. The proposed add-on would also identify hardcore drinking drivers through their driving records to determine their prevalence in traffic crashes. The add-on study would also provide for the collection and analysis of crash records to determine crash responsibility, which will permit for the first time the calculation of relative risk of causing a crash, rather than simply being involved in a crash. Finally, the add-on study, through the collection of information on alcohol use disorders on the drivers in the NHTSA drug risk study, will permit the determination of the relative risk of drivers with comorbid alcohol and drug use problems.

Public Health Relevance

Public Health Relevance Statement This study is directed at the prevention of the 13,000 fatalities caused by alcohol-related crashes involving impaired drivers each year in the United States. It will determine the prevalence of drivers with alcohol use disorders in traffic crashes and provide information to policymakers concerned with treatment and prevention programs.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
1R01AA018352-01
Application #
7698734
Study Section
Behavioral Genetics and Epidemiology Study Section (BGES)
Program Officer
Bloss, Gregory
Project Start
2009-07-01
Project End
2011-06-30
Budget Start
2009-07-01
Budget End
2010-06-30
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$440,530
Indirect Cost
Name
Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation
Department
Type
DUNS #
021883350
City
Beltsville
State
MD
Country
United States
Zip Code
20705
Scherer, Michael; Romano, Eduardo; Voas, Robert et al. (2018) Latent Classes of Polydrug Users as a Predictor of Crash Involvement and Alcohol Consumption. J Stud Alcohol Drugs 79:481-489
Romano, Eduardo; Torres-Saavedra, Pedro A; Calderón Cartagena, Hilda I et al. (2018) Alcohol-Related Risk of Driver Fatalities in Motor Vehicle Crashes: Comparing Data From 2007 and 2013-2014. J Stud Alcohol Drugs 79:547-552
Scherer, Michael; Canham, Sarah; Voas, Robert B et al. (2018) Intercorrelation of Alcohol and Other Drug Use Disorders among a National Sample of Drivers. J Psychoactive Drugs 50:143-150
Yao, Jie; Voas, Robert B; Lacey, John H (2018) Drivers with alcohol use disorders and their risks of crash involvement. Drug Alcohol Depend 183:210-216
Romano, Eduardo; Torres-Saavedra, Pedro; Voas, Robert B et al. (2017) Marijuana and the Risk of Fatal Car Crashes: What Can We Learn from FARS and NRS Data? J Prim Prev 38:315-328
Romano, Edurado; Torres-Saavedra, Pedro; Voas, Robert B et al. (2014) Drugs and alcohol: their relative crash risk. J Stud Alcohol Drugs 75:56-64
Voas, Robert B (2013) Commentary on Callaghan et al. (2013): Minimum legal drinking age laws protect high school students from both crashes and alcohol abuse. Addiction 108:1601-2
Voas, Robert B; Lacey, John H; Jones, Kristina et al. (2013) Drinking drivers and drug use on weekend nights in the United States. Drug Alcohol Depend 130:215-21
Voas, Robert B; Fell, James C (2013) Strengthening impaired-driving enforcement in the United States. Traffic Inj Prev 14:661-70
Scherer, Michael; Voas, Robert B; Furr-Holden, Debra (2013) Marijuana as a predictor of concurrent substance use among motor vehicle operators. J Psychoactive Drugs 45:211-7

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