SPECIAL ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION STUDIES: THE ROLE OF ALCOHOL/DRUG INVOLVEMENT

THE NHTSA IS SPONSORING SPECIAL ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION STUDIES ON THE ALCOHOL/DRUG INVOLVEMENT PROBLEM IN THE CITIES OF ALBUQUERQUE, BALTIMORE, AND BOSTON. THESE STUDIES ARE IN COORDINATION WITH ONGOING ALCOHOL SAFETY ACTION PROJECTS (ASAP) IN EACH OF THE THREE CITIES. THE FIRST YEAR'S EFFORT AT BOSTON IS DESCRIBED. A TOTAL OF 50 ACCIDENTS INVOLVING A FATALITY DURING AN 8-MONTH PERIOD IN THE BOSTON ASAP AREA WERE INVESTIGATED. A HUMAN FACTORS INDEX (HFI) WAS DETERMINED VIA INTERVIEWS, RECORDS, AND QUESTIONNAIRES ON EACH DRIVER DESIGNATED TO BE AT-FAULT IN THE ACCIDENT. A HYPOTHETICAL MODAL OPERATOR IS DESCRIBED BASED UPON THE ENTIRE SAMPLE. RESULTS DISCUSSED INCLUDE: 42% OF THE FOCAL OPERATORS WERE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH; 60% OF THE FOCAL OPERATORS INDICATED CHRONIC RISK TAKING BEHAVIORS; 62% OF THE ALCOHOL INVOLVED OPERATORS WERE CONSIDERED TO BE PROBLEM DRINKERS. A PROPOSED TWO YEAR CONTINUATION OF THE STUDY IS DESCRIBED.

• Corporate Authors:

  American Association for Automotive Medicine

  P.O. Box 222
  Morton Grove, IL  United States  60053

  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Fell, J C
  • Sterline-Smith, R
• Publication Date: 1973

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alcohols; Crash investigation; Crash reports; Driver performance; Drivers; Drugs; Drunk driving; Fatalities; Highway safety; Personnel performance
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00224454
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: Monograph, HS-012 858
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Apr 3 1983 12:00AM