{"id":4113,"date":"2024-08-19T22:14:56","date_gmt":"2024-08-19T12:14:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dalgarnoinstitute.org.au\/wp_site\/meth-driving-an-angry-dangerous-mix\/"},"modified":"2024-08-19T22:14:56","modified_gmt":"2024-08-19T12:14:56","slug":"meth-driving-an-angry-dangerous-mix","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dalgarnoinstitute.org.au\/wp_site\/meth-driving-an-angry-dangerous-mix\/","title":{"rendered":"Meth & Driving \u2013 An Angry Dangerous Mix?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Trait anger as a predictor of dangerous driving behaviour amongst people who use methamphetamine<\/p>\n

\u201cMethamphetamine is now the most common illicit substance detected among drivers injured or killed due to road trauma in Australia<\/p>\n

\"angrydriver\"Drivers affected by (meth)amphetamine are five times more likely to be killed, and over 6-times more likely to be injured in a traffic crash; more than double the risk reported for common impairing drugs such as benzodiazepines Perhaps unsurprisingly, people who use methamphetamine are also overrepresented in road trauma incidents requiring emergency care. Amphetamine-intoxicated drivers are up to 19 times more likely to be deemed responsible (culpable) for a motor vehicle collision compared to non-drug users, and they are significantly more likely to die as a result<\/p>\n

Despite a reduction in self-reported<\/em> use (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2024<\/a>) objectively, methamphetamine consumption in Australia continues to rise. Consequently, Australia now has one of the highest documented rates of methamphetamine use per capita, and the highest global age-standardised prevalence of (meth)amphetamine dependence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Conversely, low-to-moderate doses of methamphetamine can improve<\/em> select, unidimensional psychomotor skills ostensibly related to driving, such as attention and perceptual processing speed however, this limited beneficial effect appears to be extinguished (and even maladaptive) at higher doses or during complex tasks or those requiring multi-tasking .<\/p>\n

Negative emotionality<\/a> and heightened levels of aggression are a pervasive, if largely anecdotal observation of individuals who consume methamphetamine. Individuals who consume methamphetamine cite elevated levels of self-reported aggression compared to drug-free controls.<\/p>\n

Key Take-aways<\/p>\n