A contribution to the study of the effects of medication and psychoactive substances on the incidence of road accidents in Morocco

Introduction and objectives: The majority of factors behind the lack of road safety are the result of human behavior: excessive speed, driving in a state of tiredness and using medication and psychoactive substances. In Morocco, little data exists on road accidents associated with the use of these substances. This study was conducted to assess the role of medication and psychoactive substances in the incidence of road accidents in the city of Rabat. Material and method: Through a cross-sectional and descriptive study conducted in the emergency room of the Rabat Ibn Sina Hospital, data on driver behavior whilst driving were collected using an anonymous questionnaire. Risk factors associated with the use of medication and psychoactive substances were assessed using bivariate analysis. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software, version 17. Findings: A total of one hundred drivers agreed to participate in the survey. The average age was 36.5 years, with 18% being young men and 25%women. The majority of these drivers (60%) confessed to having taken at least one form of medication or a psychoactive substance before the accident. 70% of the drivers had taken medication, 18.33% had used drugs, 10% were under the influence of alcohol and 1. 67% had ingested herbal substances. Conclusion: Most of the medicines and psychoactive substances consumed by drivers affect the CNS by impairing driving abilities, and thus become a risk factor in the occurrence of accidents. The inclusion of this factor in the Integrated Emergency Road Safety Strategic Plan is crucial to reducing the number of accidents associated with the use of medication and psychoactive substances.