Alcohol and addictive substances in deceased active participants of traffic accidents

Summary

The content of this paper is the evaluation of data related to alcohol (ethanol, ethyl alcohol) and drugs in deceased active participants of traffic accidents for the years 2016-2021 obtained from the National Registry of Autopsies and Toxicological Examinations performed at the Department of Forensic Medicine and their comparison with the data of the Police Presidium of the Czech Republic. The sample included 2,715 deceased active road users, and their required data is available in both these sources. Only 72% of them were tested for alcohol, of whom 24% were found to have a blood alcohol concentration higher than 0.2 g/kg. Toxicological testing for substances other than alcohol was carried out in only 49% of the whole research file. Some substance from the list of addictive substances was detected in 120 deceased active road users (9% of those toxicologically examined). The concentration of these substances reached values affecting the ability to drive safely in 7 persons and excluding the ability to drive safely in 11 persons.

The low percentage of toxicological tests carried out may be partly explained by the fact that in some cases the persons concerned may have survived for a certain period of time when toxicological testing was no longer considered relevant. Since there were no persons in our cohort who died more than 24 hours after death, we consider such reasoning to be not entirely correct. Therefore, we believe that the low number of examinations is mainly due to an attempt to save funds when toxicological examination was not required by the Police of the Czech Republic (if a forensic autopsy was ordered at all).

The Police of the Czech Republic does not keep statistics on the presence of alcohol or other addictive substances in road accident deaths, but only in those who are at fault in road accidents. Data from the Police Presidium of the Czech Republic show that in 2016-2021, 57 persons were killed in traffic accidents where drugs were detected in the culprit in the accident. However, in our cohort, narcotic and psychotropic substances were detected in the blood (blood serum) of 120 deceased active participants of traffic accidents. This could be explained by the fact that at least 63 deceased active road users who were found to have narcotic and psychotropic substances were not at fault for the accident in which they died. However, a much more likely explanation is that the statistics of the Police Presidium of the Czech Republic are far from recording all culprits in the accident who are under the influence of drugs. This will especially apply to drivers who died in an accident that they were at fault for and when the police often did not order a forensic autopsy and thus a toxicological examination.

In practice, toxicological examination of deceased active participants in traffic accidents applied only selectively means a significant distortion of statistical data on the presence of alcohol or addictive substances in the deceased, which may affect not only the actions of executive power (especially the Police of the Czech Republic) towards road transport participants, but also the policy of the legislature in the Czech Republic in matters of drugs specifically in transport, but also in general. Insurance companies should also have an interest in compulsory testing for the presence of alcohol and addictive substances. The insurer has the right to reduce the insurance payment if the injury is the result of alcohol or substance abuse. In particular, the basis for whether the insurer should reduce the benefit and to what extent is the sending of a final decision by a law enforcement agency. However, if that authority does not order a toxicological examination and does not know the result, it shall inform the insurer that no alcohol or addictive substances have been detected and the insurer shall pay in full.

Keywords:

alcohol – Drugs – addictive substances – fatal traffic accident –National Register of Autopsies and Toxicological Examinations – active participant in a traffic accident – police statistics – narcotics and psychotropic substances