TY - JOUR
T1 - Roadside drug testing approaches
AU - Alhefeiti, Manal A.
AU - Barker, James
AU - Shah, Iltaf
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding: The authors acknowledge funding from UAEU College of Graduate Studies, which partially supported the work reported here.
Funding Information:
The risk of driving under the influence of drugs does not only harm the drivers but can cause injury to others as well [2]. The consequences of legal and illegal psychotropic drugs concerning a reduced capacity to drive have been widely recorded. Opioids, analgesics, benzodiazepines, antidepressants, cannabinoids, cocaine, and amphetamines are examples of psychoactive drugs that can cause these impaired effects [3]. Statistics obtained from a recent project funded by the EU called “Driving Under the Influence of Drugs Alcohol and Medicines (DRUID]” show several interesting facts. Firstly, around 2% of drivers in Europe have admitted to using recreational drugs when driving. Secondly, it was found that 28 to 53% of the drivers who have been seriously injured in accidents were under the influence of a psychoactive drug (mostly alcohol, medicinal, or recreational drugs).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors.
PY - 2021/6/1
Y1 - 2021/6/1
N2 - The purpose of this review is to present an overview of roadside drug testing, driving enforcement, and drunk/drug driving detection around the world. Drunk and drug driving is a severe problem, not only in the UAE, but also around the world. This has important implications for road safety as drunk or drug driving may increase the chances of a driver’s involvement in a road crash when compared to a drug-free driver. Recently, due to increases in drug-impaired drivers’ crash involvement, many mobile roadside drug testing devices have been introduced to the market. These devices use oral fluid, urine or blood matrices. These are on-the-spot tests, which are easy to use and are applied by law enforcement agencies and the public. Law enforcement agencies most commonly use oral fluid to detect the presence of illicit drugs in drivers. This review discusses all the available devices in the market used by the authorities. It also describes the type of drugs widely abused by drivers along with behavioral testing methods. The different types of matrices used for roadside drug testing are also evaluated. Sample collection, storage, and pre-treatment methods are discussed, followed by the confirmatory analysis of positive samples. This article will significantly help law enforcement agencies compare and evaluate all the reliable roadside testing devices and new emerging confirmatory devices available to them in the market. This will help them make an informed decision on which device to adapt to their individual needs.
AB - The purpose of this review is to present an overview of roadside drug testing, driving enforcement, and drunk/drug driving detection around the world. Drunk and drug driving is a severe problem, not only in the UAE, but also around the world. This has important implications for road safety as drunk or drug driving may increase the chances of a driver’s involvement in a road crash when compared to a drug-free driver. Recently, due to increases in drug-impaired drivers’ crash involvement, many mobile roadside drug testing devices have been introduced to the market. These devices use oral fluid, urine or blood matrices. These are on-the-spot tests, which are easy to use and are applied by law enforcement agencies and the public. Law enforcement agencies most commonly use oral fluid to detect the presence of illicit drugs in drivers. This review discusses all the available devices in the market used by the authorities. It also describes the type of drugs widely abused by drivers along with behavioral testing methods. The different types of matrices used for roadside drug testing are also evaluated. Sample collection, storage, and pre-treatment methods are discussed, followed by the confirmatory analysis of positive samples. This article will significantly help law enforcement agencies compare and evaluate all the reliable roadside testing devices and new emerging confirmatory devices available to them in the market. This will help them make an informed decision on which device to adapt to their individual needs.
KW - Drug testing
KW - Drugs of abuse
KW - LC-MS/MS
KW - Roadside testing
KW - Substance abuse
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85107419400&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85107419400&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/molecules26113291
DO - 10.3390/molecules26113291
M3 - Article
C2 - 34072538
AN - SCOPUS:85107419400
SN - 1420-3049
VL - 26
JO - Molecules
JF - Molecules
IS - 11
M1 - 3291
ER -