Study on alcohol, drug and traffic related collisions

A study designed to examine the prevalence of substance use among people involved in road traffic accidents who presented for emergency room treatment between May 2023 and April 2024 found that of 167 participants, 119 people, or 71%, received positive test result for the substance.

Providing details about the recent meeting and report, Minister of Homeland Security Michael Weeks he said“Dr. Celeste Maycock, an emergency department physician, presented the joint initiative between the Bermuda Hospitals Authority and the Department of National Drug Control.

“This anonymous study aimed to investigate the types and prevalence of substances used by people involved in road traffic accidents (RTAs) who presented for treatment in the emergency room between May 1, 2023 and April 30, 2024.

“Key findings showed that of 167 participants (16% women, 84% men aged 16-90), 119 people, or 71%, tested positive for the substance. Of these, 53 participants (32%) had only alcohol in their system, 32 (19%) had only drugs in their system, and 34 (20%) had both alcohol and drugs in their system.

“Positive drug tests revealed the presence of substances such as THC, cocaine, methamphetamine, benzodiazepines and/or opiates. It is worth noting that 20% of accidents occurred on Fridays, followed by Saturdays, and a significant proportion of RTAs were single-vehicle incidents (62%), mainly involving motorcyclists (81%).

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