February 14, 2023
On the road, one in five fatal accidents involves a drug-positive driver. The news item of this weekend involving the actor Pierre Palmade leads to the question of cocaine while driving.
Each year, 700 people are killed in an accident involving a driver who has consumed narcotics, such as cocaine. Exactly how does cocaine interfere with driving? What goes through the driver’s head?
Cocaine is the second most widely used illicit drug in Europe. Insofar as it is stimulating, it has a noticeable effect on thoughts and actions. Whether they have snorted, smoked or injected it, the user often has the impression of acting normally. To others, however, he may appear to act erratically and unpredictably.
Drugs while driving…
At the wheel, “coke” leads to aggressive driving and an alteration of perception, which very often causes a loss of control of the vehicle. In fact, the most common symptoms can have an impact on driving: overconfidence, therefore, accompanied by euphoria, bursts of energy, poor decision-making ability, impulsiveness, difficulty concentrating, increased sensitivity to light, lack of coordination…
In fact, reaction times are lengthened while the driver can adopt dangerous behavior, such as challenging themselves (passing the lights before they turn red and end up running them through a red light)…
Why does cocaine use affect driving?
Cocaine has many adverse effects on the brain and body. For example, it causes the brain to release large amounts of dopamine. This causes extreme euphoria and happiness, followed by intense emotional shock. This feeling is unnatural and can lead to poor risk management.
This drug also exposes to a cardiovascular risk because the heart must work much harder when this substance is in the body.