Often presented as a “performance drug”, cocaine leads to a poor perception of reality. At the wheel, the driver feels confident. But he makes errors in judgment that can lead to loss of control of the vehicle. “Sight and hearing remain good, but the brain poorly processes the information it receives from our eyes and ears. And the integration of information leads to behaviors that are not always the most appropriate”explains Jean-Baptiste Lafontaine, general practitioner specializing in addiction.
Driving under the influence that gives a feeling of omnipotence and results in greater risk-taking. “The problem with cocaine is that it masks the effects of fatigue. The driver will tend to drive aggressively, for example will brake much later, will tend not to give way to other ‘other road users, speeding up in a roundregarding instead of slowing down as he would if he hadn’t used cocaine’develops Benoît Godart, spokesperson for the VIAS Institute.
“We believe that we will be able to do it, that we can drive at high speed, that we will be able to overcome obstacles, that we will be able to brake in time… But we overestimate our abilities”adds Jean-Baptiste Lafontaine, general practitioner specializing in addiction.
In 2021, 13,282 people were fined in Belgium for drug use while driving. This is four times more than in 2013. In 15% of cases, the driver was positive for cocaine, a drug that is becoming more widespread and less and less expensive.