There is also some epidemiological evidence that such medication may be associated with greater liability to road traffic accidents, and it seems reasonable to suppose that these drugs might contribute to some accidents at work. Because of the complex interaction between personality, mental state, psychoactive drugs used and performance situation, it is not suggested that the use of benzodiazepines will necessarily cause an accident. Another major morbidity of psychotropic drug use is dependence upon them. The most commonly used psychotropic substances, the benzodiazepines, have been shown to produce dependence and a definite withdrawal syndrome can be recognized in animal experiments and in humans. Tolerance can also develop to the anxiolytic effects of this group of drugs.
Benzodiazepines are fully capable of inducing both physical and psychological dependence.
In view of the extremely wide usage of these substances, documented cases of dependence are rare. The CRM concluded that the true dependence potential of benzodiazepines was probably low. However, they conceded that withdrawal effects did exist with these substances and were dose dependent. They thought that enough evidence was available to recommend warnings both with regard to withdrawal effects after normal therapeutic dosage and also to the possibility of dependence occurring when a high dosage was given for long periods. Long-acting benzodiazepines are likely to carry a warning that the patient should not drive or operate machinery during therapy, irrespective of whether it is for insomnia or anxiety.