Rearrest rates among Norwegian drugged drivers compared with drunken drivers.
The rearrest rates among Norwegian drugged (n=1102) and a group of drunken drivers (n=850) (BAC: 0.16-0.19%) apprehended during 1992, were 57% (n=629) and 28% (n=238), respectively, when followed prospectively for 7 years. The most important risk factors for recidivism among drugged drivers were previous arrests for drugged or drunken driving (rearrest rate among previous arrests: 73%, no previous arrest: 42%), multi-drug detection at selection (multi-drug: 62%, single drug: 41%), sex (male: 61%, female: 35%) and age (below 36 years: 60%, 36 years and older: 44%). Most of the recidivist drugged drivers were rearrested during the year of selection (21%), followed by 13, 7 and 6%, retrospectively, during the following years. When followed both retrospectively and prospectively for a period extending from 1984 to 1998, 71% (n=779) and 40% (n=344) of the selected drugged and drunken drivers, respectively, were arrested two or more times.
Christophersen
A S
AS
National Institute of Forensic Toxicology, PO Box 495 Sentrum, 0105, Oslo, Norway. asbjorg.christophersen@labmed.uio.no
Skurtveit
S
S
Grung
M
M
Mørland
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*