Driving under the influence of alcohol in professional drivers in Cameroon

ABSTRACT

Background: Professional drivers play a pivotal role in transporting people and goods in Cameroon. Alcohol misuse is frequent in Cameroon, but its impact on professional drivers has never been studied. This study assessed driving under the influence of alcohol and its correlates in professional drivers in Cameroon.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at 4 sites on the Yaoundé–Douala highway during a 10-day period in 2014. At each site, professional drivers were randomly stopped during a 24-h window and their breath was sampled for alcohol use. The prevalence of driving under the influence (the equivalent of blood alcohol level ≥ 1 mg/100 mL) and impaired driving (blood alcohol level ≥ 40 mg/100 mL) was computed for all drivers. The correlates of driving under the influence were assessed using logistic regression analysis.

Results: Of the 807 professional drivers stopped, complete data for 783 were available. Almost all were men (n = 781). The mean age of drivers was 38.3 years (SD = 8.9). About one in 10 drivers (n = 77, 9.8%) tested positive for driving under the influence. About 2.8% (n = 22) had blood alcohol levels ≥ 40 mg/100 mL (legal limit in the United States) and 1.4% (n = 11) had blood alcohol levels ≥ 80 mg/100 mL. The likelihood of driving under the influence increased in drivers scoring 8 or more on Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 3.60; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.14–6.07) and in those having a nighttime driving schedule (aOR = 4.43; 95% CI, 1.33–14.77).

Conclusion: These findings suggest that increasing enforcement to counter impaired driving in professional drivers in Cameroon is needed. Interventions might include screening for alcohol misuse and hazardous occupational practices.

KEYWORDS:

• Alcohol
• impaired driving
• occupational safety
• traffic accidents

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Cameroonian police authorities and research assistants for their assistance in data collection.

Funding

The study was funded by the Road Traffic Injury Research Network (RTIRN Contract #005, 2014).

Contribution

J.L.S.T. and J.A.B. conceived the study. J.L.S.T. coordinated the data collection, entry, and analysis. J.A.B. led the data analysis and drafted the first version of the article. J.L.S.T. and T.G.B. contributed to the data analysis. All authors read and approved the final article.