Council Resolution of 27 November 2003 on combating the impact of psychoactive substances use on road accidents
Date: 2003-11-27
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: drug addiction, road transport, transport accident

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(Information)

COUNCIL

COUNCIL RESOLUTION

of 27 November 2003

on combating the impact of psychoactive substances use on road accidents

(2004/C 97/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

(1) bearing in mind that the European Union's drugs strategy
(2000-2004) stresses the importance of undertaking work
on driving under
illicit drugs and
the influence of
medicines, and in particular of carrying out additional
scientific studies on the connection between drugs and
road accidents;

(2) bearing in mind that the European Union Action Plan on
Drugs (2000-2004) states that the Commission and the
Member States will undertake research into the effects of
driving under the influence of illicit drugs and medicines;

(3) bearing in mind that the Commission communication on
the mid-term evaluation of the Action Plan on Drugs
(2000-2004) acknowledges, on the one hand, that the
group of
experts on alcohol, drugs, medicine and
driving made a number of recommendations concerning
the problem of driving under the influence of illicit drugs
and, on the other hand, invites the Commission and the
Council to implement those recommendations;

(4) bearing in mind the Commission communication on a
European Road Safety Action Programme
in
particular, the measures identified therein to combat the
use of drugs and medicines related to vehicle driving; also
bearing in mind the importance of timely and effective
implementation of that action programme;

and,

(5) bearing

in mind the

conclusions of

the Council
(Transport/Telecommunications/Energy)
concerning the
above European Action Programme, and in particular
the indications there included to accord special attention
to the problem of driving under the influence of drugs;

(6) recalling Resolution 44/5 of

the United Nations
Commission on Narcotic Drugs on the prevention of
the recreational and leisure use of drugs among young
people adopted in Vienna in March 2001;

(7) bearing in mind the Resolution of the Council and of the
Representatives of the Member States on the prevention
of the recreational use of drugs, and in particular, the

recommendation aimed at reducing the number of road
accidents resulting from the recreational use of drugs, for
example, by improving the mobility of young people with
the help of public transport;

(8) recalling Council Directive 91/439/EEC of 29 July 1991
on driving licences and in particular Annex III thereto,
which envisages rules on refusal to issue or to renew a
driving licence in the event of dependence or regular
abuse of psychotropic substances;

(9) bearing in mind Title V of Directive 2001/83/EC of the
European Parliament and of the Council of 6 November
2001 on the Community code relating to medicinal
products for human use; whereas this Directive requires
that information accompanies all medicines placed on the
market, and that such information on the labelling or in
the package leaflet should advise patients of the potential
risks on their ability to drive safely when the medicine is
taken according to the advice to patients; whereas that
information is also provided to prescribers
in the
summary of product characteristics and has to specifically
cover any adverse effects which may impact on the
patient's ability to drive;

(10) recalling the 2002 Annual Report by the European Moni-
toring Centre on Drugs and Drug Addictions, and in
particular
the reference to the danger of poly-drug
abuse in the context of driving;

(11) bearing in mind the work carried out on this matter by
the Pompidou Group of the Council of Europe, and in
particular the conclusions of the seminar held on June
18-20, 2003, concerning road traffic and psychoactive
substances;

(12) bearing in mind that

scientific research shows

that
psychoactive substances can seriously impair driving
ability, in particular by affecting the drivers' psychomotor
functions, and consequently be the cause or concomitant
cause of road accidents; bearing in mind also the reper-
cussions of road accidents on the health, social, working
and security levels in EU Member States;

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(13) whereas the statistics gathered by the Member States on
the presence and the incidence of psychoactive substances
in road accidents are still too fragmented and not easily
comparable; whereas the data available show anyhow that
in particular, poly-drug
the phenomenon is widespread;
abuse and the combined use of drugs, alcohol and
medicines in the context of driving is a cause for concern;

(14) whereas

road

accidents

the number of

increases
considerably at weekends, particularly around nightclubs
and discos, and in some Member States road accidents on
Friday and Saturday nights have become the main cause
of death among young people from fifteen to twenty-four
years old;

(15) whereas

it

appropriate

is necessary to carry on with research,
especially on the epidemiological aspects. In particular,
if
to be
possible, further efforts must be made to develop metho-
dologies and control tools intended to detect psychoactive
substances use by vehicle drivers, as well as to check the
effects of the same substances on driving ability;

epidemiological

inquiries

are

(16) whereas numerous traffic controls on vehicle drivers are
indispensable, especially in dangerous situations, for the
proper monitoring and more effective combat of
this
phenomenon.

(17) whereas, in order to understand the phenomenon more
fully and correctly, it would be useful to increase, within
the limits of available resources, the number of neuro-
behavioural
carried out on
vehicle drivers;

and toxicological

tests

(18) whereas professional

transport of goods and persons
continue to increase in the EU, also as the consequence
of the achievement of the Internal Market and the EU
enlargement; whereas
to prevent accidents
in order
involving heavy
the use of psychoactive
substances by professional drivers should be detected,
law,
where possible and in accordance with national
during periodical medical checks and road side checks;
whereas, a specific regime for professional drivers could
be envisaged;

vehicles,

(19) whereas the exchange of information at European level
should be increased in order to identify best practices
both in the handling of psychoactive substances-related
driving cases and in the training provided to all the prac-
titioners concerned;

to make
participation. Whereas
aware and involve the managers of night clubs and
discos in such prevention action;

it would be useful

(21) whereas the importance, with a view to reducing the
road accidents, of developing early-inter-
number of
vention programmes
tailored to drug users and of
taking the opportunity afforded by checks on driving in
a mental and physical state impaired by drug use to make
contact with the users and start, where appropriate, the
rehabilitation process,

UNDERLINES THE IMPORTANCE OF:

(22) promoting and widening research on the influence of
so that
psychoactive substances over driving ability,
prevention and law enforcement measures
can be
grounded on sound scientific evidence. Fully exploiting
the opportunities offered by the Sixth Framework
Programme of the European Union for research and tech-
nological development, in particular as regards the effects
of synthetic drugs and the study of the effects of drugs on
the nervous system;

the

(23) increasing, within the limits of national law, the use of
tests designed to
neuro-behavioural and toxicological
detect
psychoactive
of
consumption
possible
substances by drivers, as well as to check the influence
of such substances on driving, above all in the event of
fatal road accidents and in accidents classified as serious
according to national definitions and regulations, and
when there is a legitimate suspicion to believe that the
drivers were under
influence of psychoactive
substances;

the

(24) developing research to improve road tests, with special
attention to their practicality and reliability, in order to
disseminate and standardise their use, and in the light of
the results obtained by the joint study carried out by the
European Union and the USA (Rosita II);

(25) ensuring the exchange of

information among Member
States, including the countries acceding to the European
to identify best practices, and providing the
Union,
European
EMCDDA with
and
information concerning the measures undertaken at
national level in good time, in order to make monitoring
of the phenomenon at European level possible;

Commission

the

(20) whereas information and prevention campaigns should be
improved in order to increase awareness of the dangers of
consuming psychoactive substances as well as of their
combined use in the context of driving; in particular, it
is advisable to arrange specific information campaigns
targeting young people and encouraging their active

(26) launching targeted information and prevention campaigns
to warn against the dangers of psychoactive substances
use in the context of driving, through the involvement of
young people, health practitioners,
families, schools as
well as professional drivers;

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(27) defining and developing effective prevention measures,
which should be tailored to the specific cultural and
social contexts both at national and local
level, aiming
at reducing the number of road accidents resulting from
in recreational
the use of psychoactive
substances
contexts,
inter alia by encouraging the use of public
transport as an alternative to the use of private vehicles
in places and situations at risk and setting up first-aid
groups consisting of social workers and health practi-
tioners, acting inside nightclubs and discos to identify
individuals at risk early before they start driving;

(28) launching awareness campaigns to involve night-club
managers, and promoting collaboration between the
latter and the competent local and national authorities
to prevent dangerous
them
effectively;

and manage

situations

(29) taking any appropriate measures, which may include
sanctions,
in respect of vehicle drivers who are under
the influence of psychoactive substances, which reduce
their capacity to drive;

(30) gathering and evaluating information regarding measures
for rehabilitation of drivers who have used drugs with a
view
early-intervention
programmes

developing

tailored

to

AND INVITES THE COMMISSION TO ENSURE A TIMELY AND
EFFECTIVE
ACTION
PROGRAMME ON ROAD SAFETY, AND IN PARTICULAR:

FOLLOW-UP

EUROPEAN

THE

TO

the

and

toxicological

neuro-behavioural

(31) to carry out a study on the functioning and effectiveness
of
tests
concerning the intake and influence of psychoactive
substances on driving ability, currently used in the
Member States of the European Union. On the basis of
the outcome of such a study, to explore the possibility of
drawing up, in cooperation with the Member States and
the parties
and to propose procedures
harmonised or alternatively guidelines at European level

concerned,

for the above tests in order to make results reliable and
comparable;

(32) to draw up, in cooperation with the Member States and
the parties concerned, and to propose guidelines at
European level, also based on the best practices identified
in the European Union, concerning the management of
psychoactive substances-related cases in the context of
driving (e.g. evaluation of the effects of the substances
and/or
secondary-prevention
on
treatment);

driving,

action

(33) to draw up, in cooperation with the Member States and
including CEPOL, guidelines at
the parties concerned,
European level recommending training programmes for
the police officers and health professionals;

in light of

(34) to consider,
national
Agency for the evaluation of medicinal products,
advisability of the general
harmonised pictograms on medical packagings;

the experiences obtained at
level, and in consultation with the European
the
introduction of appropriate,

(35) to consider the possibility of proposing measures aimed at
ensuring appropriate levels of control on professional
drivers;

(36) to work out

the establishment, within the European
Commission, of a European Road Safety Observatory,
subject
to the decisions to be taken by the Council
(Transport/Telecommunications/Energy) on this matter.
In this context, to ensure issues related to driving under
the influence of psychoactive substances are tackled in the
context of EU activities in the field of road accidents;

(37) to draw up, in cooperation with the Member States and
the parties concerned, a glossary including terms and
definitions related to the main aspects of
the use of
psychoactive substances related to vehicle driving ability,
in order to improve mutual understanding among the
European Union Member States.