| An evaluation of the Standardised Field Sobriety Tests for the detection of impairment associated with cannabis with and without alcohol (2006) | |||||||||||||||
Abstract | |||||||||||||||
| The project involved 80 participants aged 21 to 35 years. Participants underwent six experimental conditions that involved the consumption of cigarettes containing either no THC (placebo), 1.8% THC1, and 3% THC together with the consumption of alcohol to reach blood alcohol concentrations of either 0% (placebo) 0.03% or 0.05%. Neither the participants nor the researchers knew the levels of alcohol or cannabis that were present. After the administration of alcohol and THC, participants performed a driving simulation task and undertook the Standardised Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs). This research confirms that the consumption of cannabis, with or without alcohol, significantly impairs driving behaviour. In addition, the SFSTs are appropriate measures for the detection of cannabis and alcohol consumption and the driving impairment associated with the use of these drugs. In cases where a simple road-side drug test is unavailable, the SFST tests provide essential information on a person’s ability to perform tasks such as driving. Equally, when a specimen from the driver is available, and drugs are detected in the specimen, performance on the SFSTs can provide information to support the proposition that the drug was causing impairment, and therefore likely to increase crash risk. The report also provides valuable information on the precise profile of tests that are most reliable at detecting drug impairment. This warrants close consideration by policing jurisdictions considering implementing SFSTs. | |||||||||||||||
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