Citation

Bastiaans R. Blutalkohol 2000; 37(2): 4-6.

Affiliation

Bastiaans, R., European Commission, Transport Directorate General, Brussels, Belgium

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, International Committee on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety and Bund gegen Alkohol und Drogen im Straßenverkehr, Publisher Steintor Verlag)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

With more than 43,000 people killed annually (average more than 115 per day), and more than 1.2 million persons reportedly injured, the European Commission considers road safety to be a priority area in the development of the Common Transport Policy. The European Commission has focussed its road safety policy along three major lines: Gathering and dissemination of information and best practice. To develop measures to prevent accidents from happening. To develop measures to reduce the severity of consequences of accidents when they occur. Dedicated European road safety research projects aim to help developing our road safety policies both on European and national levels, and it aims to implement policies in real life. Road use and the abuse of illicit drugs and prescribed medicines seem to be an increasing cause of road accidents, fatalities and injuries. The ROSITA project, part funded under the EC Framework Programme for RTD Research, Technological Development and Demonstration, aims to test existing tools for roadside drug and medicine testing, by large-scale field tests in eight European countries. ROSITA aims to inform policy makers at various levels, as well as enforcement agencies. It will spread best practice across Europe, and it will provide enforcement recommendations to avoid accidents by reliable and cost-effective roadside tests for drugs and medicines.