The aim of this study was to improve the knowledge about the presence of alcohol, drugs and medicine among drivers of trucks or busses involved in fatal accidents and accidents with severe injuries. The study is based on material from two different databases, the Swedish Transport Administrations in-depth study database and the Swedish Traffic Accident Data Acquisition (Strada), owned by The Swedish Transport Agency. The survey of the presence of substances and background variables such as gender, age and type of accident among drivers under influence is presented in this study and based on accidents that occurred 2008–2015. The study includes 614 fatal accidents from the in-depth study database and 3381 accidents with severe injuries from Strada.

For fatally injured drivers of trucks and busses in the in-depth database presence of alcohol was found in 15 percent, illegal drugs in 6 percent and medicine in 9 percent. Compared to the corresponding figure for drivers of cars, the presence of alcohol is lower, whereas the presence for illegal drugs and medicine, is at the same level. The presence is much lower when studying all drivers of trucks and busses involved in fatal accidents disregarding the drivers level of injury. The presence of alcohol among the drivers were 2 percent and 1 percent for illegal drugs respectively medicine. There are though differences between the type of vehicle driven. Among drivers of lighter trucks 16 of 156 drivers (10%) had presence of alcohol and/or illegal drugs. For drivers of trucks 4 of 369 (1%) and drivers of busses 0 of 96 drivers (0%) where under the influence of alcohol and/or illegal drugs.

In 2003, the Swedish Road Administration initiated a project entitled The Joint National Action against Drunk and Drugged Drivers according to the Skellefte Model The aim of the project was to spread an initiative that began in Skellefteå to the rest of Sweden. According to the Skellefte Model, anyone taken into custody for drunk driving is quickly offered help for any alcohol or drug problems they might have. The way it works is that, at the time of the arrest, the police make an offer of an interview with social services or the addiction treatment system. If the individual agrees, the interview is conducted, and treatment is then offered if it is deemed necessary. The model is based on a voluntary approach, and the individual can decline further contact at any time. For each case, a form is created that follows the person. The form provides background information such as age and gender, as well as information as to whether the suspect accepted or refused the offer, and whether he or she is participating in the interview and treatment process. The results from a study based on an analysis of these forms are presented in this report. Forms from cases in which the suspects have refused contact with social services or the addiction treatment system are retained solely by the police. We have consequently collected forms from both the police and social services/addiction treatment systems. Forms were collected between 1 January 2008 and 30 June 2008. The police send in 2,132 forms from 16 counties. Social services and addiction treatment systems send in 845 forms from 17 counties. In some cases social services and the addiction treatment system had come into contact with the suspected drunk driver by some means other than the police form. For instance, individuals who refuse the police offer may change their mind and initiate such contact themselves. A special form, prepared by VTI, has been used for such cases.

Rattfylleri är ett av de största trafiksäkerhetsproblemen i Sverige. I den här artikeln ges en översikt över den senaste tidens forskning vad gäller problemets omfattning, attityder till att köra rattfull och de åtgärder som erbjuds. Genomgången, som avser svenska förhållanden, visar att vi har mer kunskap om rattfylleri med avseende på alkohol än med avseende på droger. Forskningen visar att alkoholrattfylleri är ett större trafiksäkerhetsproblem än drograttfylleri men att även drograttfylleri är förenat med stora risker. Det är därför viktigt att förbättra kunskapen om droger i trafiken. Det är också viktigt att beakta att det bakom många rattfylleribrott finns människor med missbruksproblem och att rehabilitering därför bör ingå som en del av trafiksäkerhetsarbetet.

SMADIT - Cooperation against alcohol and drugs in traffic, is a project in Stockholm County in cooperation between the Swedish Road Administration, the Police Authority, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm County branch of the Swedish Association of Local Authorities, Stockholm City, the Parole and Probation Department of the Swedish Prison and Probation Service, and the County Administrative Board. The objective of SMADIT is to reduce the number of drink drivers and to give people with drink and drug problems an opportunity to deal with their problem. The project intends to develop more effective procedures so that drivers under the influence of alcohol and drugs, resident in Stockholm County (SMADIT customers) are offered a consultation within 24 hours regarding the opportunity to tackle their alcohol or drug dependency, i.e. they are given a SMADIT invitation. This report is an evaluation of part of the development phase in Stockholm County which took place during the period 2005-2007. Within the project there are activity goals, process goals and information goals. These have been evaluated using comprehensive statistics relating to the work and questionnaires to people active in the project. During the period April 2006-March 2007, 2,588 drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs, resident in Stockholm County, were encountered. Three quarters of the SMADIT customers (1,728 people) received a SMADIT invitation. Of these, 12% were given a specialist assessment. This means that the overriding aim of SMADIT, that 10% of the drink drivers found who were given an invitation to contact with the service for the care & treatment of alcohol and/or drug addicts, should accept treatment or some other action for their dependency, has been reached.

A questionnaire survey has been conducted as part of the evaluation of the Joint National Action against Drunk and Drugged Drivers according to the Skellefte Model which the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI) has carried out at the request of the Swedish Road Administration. The questionnaire was aimed at individuals who deal with drunk drivers within the police or social services/addiction treatment systems. The objective was to describe how this work is organised within the respective organisations, how contacts with drunk drivers and the administrative process surrounding the forms have worked, and whether the model has required more resources in terms of person-hours than had been the case prior to the implementation of the model. Depending on the circumstances of the particular target group, the questionnaire was distributed either online or by mail. 452 of the 589 individuals within the police or social services/addiction treatment systems who were chosen to receive the questionnaire responded, giving a response frequency of 77%. Two versions of the questionnaire were prepared, although the bulk of it was the same for both target groups. Both police officers and individuals involved in social services/addiction treatment systems were asked to recall the most recent case they had handled in accordance with the Skellefte Model. Bearing that case in mind, the respondents were then asked to describe how the routines had worked.

The Skellefte Model is a project that is intended to reduce the number of repeat drunk driving offences by improving cooperation between agencies such as the police, social services and addiction treatment systems. This report is intended to assess the deficiencies and merits that exist according to people who are working with the Skellefte Model. The study is based on material from twenty interviews that were conducted between October 2007 and January 2008. Overall, the interviewees paint a relatively positive picture of the Skellefte Model, and they are often highly motivated.

Fatal road traffic crashes are often related to speeding, non-use of a seatbelt, and alcohol/drug-impaired driving. The aim of this study was to examine associations between driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol and driver-related risk factors that have been reported as significantly contributing causes of fatal road traffic crashes. The data were extracted from Norwegian road traffic crash registries and forensic toxicology databases. Drug/alcohol investigated car and van drivers and motorcycle riders fatally injured in road traffic crashes in Norway during 2005–2015 were included in this study (n = 772). Drug and alcohol concentrations corresponding to 0.5 g/kg alcohol in blood were used as the lower limits for categorising drivers/riders as impaired; 0.2 g/kg was the upper limit for being categorised as sober. Associations between driver-related risk factors and impairment from specific substance groups were calculated using multivariable logistic regression, adjusted for other substance groups, age, and sex, and were reported when the confidence intervals did not contain the value 1 or lower. Substances found in concentrations above the impairment limits were mainly alcohol (20%), medicinal drugs (10%: benzodiazepines, opioids, z-hypnotics), stimulants (5%: amphetamines, methylphenidate, and cocaine), and cannabis (4%: THC). The drug/alcohol-impaired drivers had compared to the sober drivers more often been speeding (68% versus 32%), not used a seatbelt (69% versus 30%), and been driving without a valid driver license (26% versus 1%). Logistic regression analysis showed that impairment from alcohol or stimulants (mainly amphetamines) was associated with all three risk factors, medicinal drugs with all except speeding, and impairment from cannabis (THC) with not having a valid driver license. Among motorcycle riders, drug/alcohol impairment was associated with not having a valid driver license and non-use of a helmet. At least one of the risk factors speeding, non-use of a seatbelt/helmet, and driving without a valid license were present among the vast majority of the drug/alcohol-impaired fatally injured drivers and riders, and also among more than half of the fatally injured sober drivers.