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Objective: Although most research on drugs and driving has focused on the use of alcohol and cannabis, research that has been conducted on cigarette smoking and collisions has found that smokers have an increased collision involvement. Studies dating from 1967 through 2013 have shown a crude relative risk of about 1.5 among smokers compared to nonsmokers. In Canada, the association between smoking and collisions has not been recently investigated. Studies that have examined the association between smoking and collisions often did not control for all confounding factors, such as alcohol use and driving exposure, which have been associated with increased collision rates. Additionally, a number of these studies were examined in countries and at times when prevalence of smoking was much higher than is currently the case in Canada. The purpose of this research is to examine the association between self-reported current smoking and past-year collision involvement, controlling for confounding factors, in a large representative sample of adult drivers in Ontario, Canada, from 2002 and 2014.Method: Data are based on the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Monitor, an ongoing, rolling telephone survey of Ontario adults that provides epidemiological surveillance of indicators related to alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use, as well as physical and mental health. The survey uses random-digit-dialing methods via Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview, with response rates over 50%.Results: Prevalence of self-reported collision involvement within the past year for 2002-2014 was 8.6% among those who currently smoke compared to 6.5% of nonsmokers. Logistic regression analysis, controlling for the potential confounding effects of sociodemographics, driving exposure measures, drinking frequency, and hazardous alcohol use, found that the overall odds for collision involvement in the preceding year among current smokers for 2002-2014 was 1.27 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-1.53) times that of nonsmokers.Conclusions: These findings indicate that despite a substantial reduction in overall prevalence of smoking in Canada, smokers still have a significantly increased odds of collision involvement, even when controlling for alcohol and exposure. Additionally, the results are consistent with the increased odds/risks of motor vehicle collisions found in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Road crashes represent a huge burden on global health. Some drivers are prone to repeated episodes of risky driving (RD) and are over-represented in crashes and related morbidity. However, their characteristics are heterogeneous, hampering development of targeted intervention strategies. This study hypothesized that distinct personality, cognitive, and neurobiological processes are associated with the type of RD behaviours these drivers predominantly engage in. Methods: Four age-matched groups of adult (19–39 years) males were recruited: 1) driving while impaired recidivists (DWI, n = 36); 2) non-alcohol reckless drivers (SPEED, n = 28); 3) drivers with a mixed RD profile (MIXED, n = 27); and 4) low-risk control drivers (CTL, n = 47). Their sociodemographic, criminal history, driving behaviour (by questionnaire and simulation performance), personality (Big Five traits, impulsivity, reward sensitivity), cognitive (disinhibition, decision making, behavioural risk taking), and neurobiological (cortisol stress response) characteristics were gathered and contrasted. Results: Compared to controls, group SPEED showed greater sensation seeking, disinhibition, disadvantageous decision making, and risk taking. Group MIXED exhibited more substance misuse, and antisocial, sensation seeking and reward sensitive personality features. Group DWI showed greater disinhibition and more severe alcohol misuse, and compared to the other RD groups, the lowest level of risk taking when sober. All RD groups exhibited less cortisol increase in response to stress compared to controls. Discussion: Each RD group exhibited a distinct personality and cognitive profile, which was consistent with stimulation seeking in group SPEED, fearlessness in group MIXED, and poor behavioural regulation associated with alcohol in group DWI. As these group differences were uniformly accompanied by blunted cortisol stress responses, they may reflect the disparate behavioural consequences of dysregulation of the stress system. In sum, RD preference appears to be a useful marker for clarifying explanatory pathways to risky driving, and for research into developing more personalized prevention efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Motor racing includes high speed driving and risky maneuvers and can result in negative outcomes for both spectators and drivers. Interest in motorsports is also associated with risky driving attitudes and behaviors on public roads as well as with individual difference variables, such as sensation seeking. However, whether the links between motorsports involvement and risky driving tendencies differ for spectators and drivers has remained mainly unexamined. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between thrill seeking, attitudes toward speeding, and self-reported driving violations among a sample of motorsports spectators and drivers. Method A web-based survey was conducted and sampled 408 members and visitors of car club and racing websites in Ontario, Canada. The questionnaire included measures of (i) motorsports involvement, (ii) thrill seeking (Driver Thrill Seeking Scale), (iii) attitudes (Attitudes toward Speed Limits on Roadways and Competitive Attitudes toward Driving Scale); (iv) self-reported driving violations (adapted from Driver Behaviour Questionnaire), and (v) background variables. Path analysis was performed to test the relationships among the variables. Results For both spectators and drivers, thrill seeking directly predicted driving violations; competitive attitudes toward driving further mediated this relationship. Attitudes toward speed limits, however, mediated the relationship between thrill seeking and violations only for drivers. Discussion We observed significant relationships among individual difference measures, motorsports involvement, speeding attitudes and violations that may inform road safety interventions, including differences in the relationships among thrill seeking, speeding attitudes, and violations for motorsports spectators and drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This study examined the short-term effects of risky driving motor vehicle television commercials on risk-positive attitudes, emotions and risky driving inclinations in video-simulated critical road traffic situations among males and females, within an experimental design. Method Participants were randomly assigned to one of three televised commercial advertising conditions embedded in a television show: a risky driving motor vehicle commercial condition, a non-risky driving motor vehicle commercial condition and a control non-motor vehicle commercial condition. Participants subsequently completed the Implicit Attitude Test (IAT) to measure risk-positive attitudes, Driver Thrill Seeking Scale (DTSS) to measure risk-positive emotions and the Vienna Risk-Taking Test – Traffic (WRBTV) to measure risky driving inclinations. Results ANOVA analyses indicated that type of commercial participants watched did not affect their performance on the IAT, DTSS or WRBTV. However, a main effect of heightened risk-positive emotions and risky driving inclinations was found for males. Discussion Despite public and governmental concern that risky driving motor vehicle commercials may increase the likelihood that people exposed to these commercials engage in risky driving, this experimental study found no immediate effect of brief exposure to a risky driving motor vehicle commercial on risk-positive attitudes, emotions or risky driving inclinations. Subsequent research should examine the effects of cumulative exposure to risky driving motor vehicle television commercials and print advertisements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The purpose of this study was to conduct a process and outcome evaluation of the deterrent impact of Ontario's street racing and stunt driving legislation which came into effect on September 30, 2007, on collision casualties defined as injuries and fatalities. It was hypothesized that because males, especially young ones, are much more likely to engage in speeding, street racing and stunt driving, the new law would have more impact in reducing speeding-related collision casualties in males when compared to females. Methods Interrupted time series analysis with ARIMA modelling was applied to the monthly speeding-related collision casualties in Ontario for the period of January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2010, separately for young male drivers 16-25 years of age (primary intervention group), mature male drivers 26-65 years of age (secondary intervention group), young female drivers 16-25 years of age (primary comparison group) and mature female drivers 26-65 years of age (secondary comparison group). A covariate adjustment using non-speeding casualties was included. Results A significant intervention effect was found for young male drivers with, on average, 58 fewer collision casualties per month, but not for mature male drivers, when non-speeding casualties were controlled for. No corresponding effect was observed in either comparison (females) group. Conclusion These findings indicate a reduction in speeding-related casualties among young males of 58 fewer casualties per month subsequent to the introduction of Ontario's street racing and stunt driving legislation and suggest the presence of a general deterrent effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine the effects of various medical conditions and medications on subsequent motor vehicle injuries (MVIs). Method: The National Population Health Survey, a large, nationally representative, longitudinal study of Canadians, included self-reported medical conditions of asthma, arthritis/rheumatism, back problems excluding arthritis, high blood pressure, migraine headaches, diabetes, heart disease and distress, and medication use during the past month for asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart, codeine/pethidine (Demerol)/morphine, other pain relievers, antidepressants, tranquilizers, and sleeping medication. Path analyses were used to examine the odds of subsequent MVI for different medical conditions and medication use reported prior to the MVI (in the previous wave of the survey) while controlling for age and sex. Results: Increased odds of subsequent MVIs were found for asthma (odds ratio [OR]: 1.864, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.281, 2.713), arthritis/rheumatism (OR: 1.659, 95% CI: 1.163, 2.365), back problems (OR: 2.169, 95% CI: 1.624, 2.895), and migraines (OR: 1.631, 95% CI: 1.125, 2.364) but not for high blood pressure (OR: 1.435, 95% CI: 0.944, 2.181), diabetes (OR: 1.479, 95% CI: 0.743, 2.944), heart disease (OR: 2.627, 95% CI: 0.941, 7.334) or distress (OR: 1.153, 95% CI: 0.840, 1.581). Except for migraine with codeine/pethidine/morphine, this effect persisted regardless of whether medication was used to treat the condition. Respondents who reported using certain medications, namely, codeine/pethidine/morphine (OR: 2.215, 95% CI: 1.274, 3.850), other pain medication (OR: 1.630, 95% CI: 1.242, 2.139), antidepressants (OR: 2.664. 95% CI: 1.602, 4.429), and sleeping medication (OR: 2.059, 95% CI: 1.161, 3.651), had increased odds of subsequent MVI, independent of related medical condition, whereas tranquillizers showed no increased odds of subsequent MVIs. Conclusions: This study suggests that the relationship between medical conditions, medications, and MVIs is complex but consistent with other studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine self-reported motor vehicle injury prevention strategies, speeding and impaired driving, and the effects of speeding and impaired driving on subsequent motor vehicle collision injuries, using the Canadian National Population Health Survey (NPHS). Strategies commonly reported were preventing impaired drivers from driving, using designated drivers, and requiring passengers to use seatbelts. Yet a substantial minority, particularly young males, reported engaging in risky driving behaviours such as speeding and impaired driving. Self-reported speeders and impaired drivers had significantly higher odds of reporting injuries from subsequent motor vehicle collisions. Specifically, those who reported sometimes/rarely or never obeying the speed limits were two and a half times more likely to report a subsequent motor vehicle injury, while those who reported impaired driving one or more times in the past 12 months were two times more likely to report a subsequent motor vehicle injury. These findings support the need for continued focus on speeding, drinking and driving, and other risky driving behaviours to reduce collisions in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on a study that investigated the association between benzodiazepine use and driving impairment, using driving simulators and on-road tests. A consistent 60% increase of motor vehicle collision (MVC) risk associated with the drug was revealed in the present meta-analysis. The study recommends limiting prescriptions for benzodiazepines because of its impact on driving ability.

Abstract: Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of health factors and substance use on subsequent motor vehicle collision (MVC) injuries of three different age groups, using the longitudinal dataset from the Canadian National Population Health Survey (NPHS) for the years 1994–2002. Methods: Path analysis technique was used to determine the relations between MVC injury and four risk factors: binge drinking; health status; distress; and medication use. The three demographic variables, age at ‘baseline’, sex, and immigration status were added into the model as control variables. Three age groups were examined: young=12–29.9; middle-aged=30–59.9 and old=60–85 years of age. The total sample size was 16,093. Results: A lower percentage of males, older persons, immigrants, and non-binge drinkers reported a subsequent MVC injury, as did respondents reporting better health and lower distress scores. Medication use was associated with higher subsequent MVC injuries. Path analysis found that among younger individuals, the variable binge drinking, was the only significant risk factor associated with subsequent injuries. In contrast, among middle-aged individuals, the variable medication use, was the only statistically significant risk factor for subsequent injuries. No variables were significant risk factors of injuries for older individuals. Conclusions: Various demographic and risk factors were found to influence injuries among a nationally representative sample of Canadians. Reported binge drinking among young individuals and medication use among middle-aged individuals were found to be risk factors for subsequent MVC injury. These findings support the need for continued focus on alcohol, drugs and traffic safety. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the age and sex trends of motor vehicle collision injuries between a nationally representative self-report survey and official police motor vehicle collision report data. To do this, population-based estimates of motor vehicle collision injuries were established using data from the National Population Health Survey (NPHS), a prospective, population-based, longitudinal survey that was compared to Transport Canada''s official motor vehicle collision report statistics. Methods: Aggregated mean data (1994–1996) were compared for seven age groups (15–19, 20–24, 25–34, 35–44, 45–54, 55–64, and 65+) from both data sets. Results: No significant differences were found between males’ and females’ MVC injuries for any age category in the NPHS. A comparison of the NPHS and Transport Canada data found two small (significant) within-sex differences between the data sets, but overall, the analysis largely revealed similar trends for self-reported injury for all age categories and sex. Conclusions: The results indicate that the incidence of injuries based on self-report data in a nationally representative sample is similar to official sources of reporting and are thus a valid indicator or motor vehicle collision injury incidence. The results also confirm that injury trends differ from fatality trends. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective. The purpose of this study was to examine predictors of subsequent motor vehicle collision injuries, with a particular focus on health-related variables, using the longitudinal dataset from the Canadian National Population Health Survey (NPHS) for the years 1994-2002. Methods. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine the relations between motor vehicle collision injury and four risk factors: binge drinking, health status, distress, and medication use. Age and sex were included as control variables. The total sample size was 14,529. Results. A higher percentage of females and younger persons reported a motor vehicle collision injury. Binge drinkers, respondents with poor health, respondents with distress, and respondents reported using two or more medications reported a higher percentage of subsequent injuries. Logistic regression analysis found that persons with poorer health status and persons who used more medications had higher odds of motor vehicle injuries. Only one statistically significant interaction effect was found: alcohol bingeing and medication use. Conclusions. Among a nationally representative sample of Canadians, various demographic and risk factors predict subsequent injuries. Given that this number represents a considerable economic burden, this study underscores the need for continued research and countermeasures on alcohol, drugs, and driving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: On May 1, 1996, Ontario, Canada, amended the Liquor Licence Act to extend the hours of alcohol sales and service in licensed establishments from 1 am to 2 am. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of extended drinking hours in Ontario on motor-vehicle collision (MVC) and other injuries admitted to regional trauma units based on Ontario Trauma Registry data.Method: A quasi-experimental design using interrupted time series was used to assess changes in admissions to Ontario trauma units. The analyzed data sets were monthly data on number of admissions from MVC and other causes of injury during the 11 pm-12 am, 12-1 am, 1-2 am, and 2-3 am time windows for 4 years before and 3 years after the policy change (May 1992-April 1999).Results: For MVC injuries, no significant pre-post increases were found for the 2-3 am period commensurate with the introduction of the extended drinking hours, but decreases were found for the 11 pm-12 am and 1-2 am periods. For non-MVC injuries, a significant increase was found for the 2-3 am period.Conclusions: The data sets suggest that increased availability of alcohol as a result of extension of closing hours had an impact on non-MVC injuries presenting to Ontario trauma units, but road safety initiatives may have mediated the effects of the extension on MVC injuries. These observations are consistent with those of other studies of small changes in alcohol availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on six myths related to the prevention of problems emanating from driving after drinking. The first assumption is that the cause of and solution to the drinking-driving problem is simple. The second myth is that the prevention of drinking and driving is an issue of individual responsibility. The third myth is that drinking behavior and driving behavior is not associated with drinking-driving crashes. The fourth assumption is that drinking and driving messages in society are innocuous and have no effect in shaping behavior. The fifth myth is that drinking-driving offenders are the drivers involved in crashes. The final assumption is that because drinking-driving offenders have problems with alcohol abuse, alcohol and alcoholism should be the focus of rehabilitation programmes.