PhD conferral Dhr. Stefan Jongen, MSc.

Keywords: medication, driving ability, alcohol, sleep deprivation, sedatives.

Before a drug appears on the market, research must show whether or not it affects the user’s­­­­ ability to drive. At an early stage in the registration process, researchers should use tests that are sensitive enough to detect any potential negative effects and, ideally, to predict these effects in everyday traffic situations. This research shows that tests of alertness and divided attention are the most suitable for illustrating the effects of alcohol, sedatives or one night’s sleep deprivation (and can predict the ability to drive to a certain extent). These tests are much better than a very short test of processing speed, which is currently often used to measure the influence of medication on driving ability.