CARBON MONOXIDE, SMOKING, AND FATAL HIGHWAY CRASHES
CARBON MONOXIDE IN CONCENTRATIONS ABOVE 15% IN THE BLOOD RARELY APPEARS TO BE A FACTOR IN HIGHWAY CRASHES. HOWEVER, CARBON MONOXIDE IN LOWER CONCENTRATIONS, AND CIGARETTE SMOKING WHICH CAN PRODUCE SUCH CONCENTRATIONS, HAVE BEEN HYPOTHESIZED AS IMPORTANT HAZARDS TO SAFE DRIVING AND ONE STUDY HAS REPORTED THAT SMOKERS HAVE HIGHER CRASH RATES THAN NON-SMOKERS. IN THE PRESENT STUDY, HOWEVER, FATALLY INJURED DRIVERS HAD EVIDENCE OF HEAVY SMOKING MORE OFTEN THAN DID DRIVERS NOT INVOLVED IN CRASHES BUT STOPPED AT ROADBLOCKS AT TIMES AND PLACES WHERE CRASHES HAD OCCURRED. THE EXCESS WAS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE FACT THAT HEAVY SMOKERS ALSO ARE HEAVY DRINKERS, AND OFTEN ARE PROBLEM DRINKERS. PERSONS WHO SMOKE HEAVILY BUT DO NOT DRINK HEAVILY WERE NOT OVER-REPRESENTED AMONG THE FATALITIES. IT IS HYPOTHESIZED THAT PROBLEM DRINKERS REPRESENT A SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION OF PERSONS WITH CHRONIC RESPIRATORY DISEASE JUST AS THEY DO AMONG HIGHWAY FATALITIES. /AUTHOR/
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Corporate Authors:
American Association for Automotive Medicine
15th Conference Proceedings
, United States -
Authors:
- Waller, J A
- Thomas, K
- Publication Date: 1971-10
Media Info
- Pagination: p. 245-60
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Serial:
- Publication of: Am Assoc Automotive Medicine
- Publisher: American Association for Automotive Medicine
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Carbon monoxide; Crash rates; Drivers; Drunk drivers; Drunk driving; Smoking; Tobacco smoke; Traffic crashes
- Old TRIS Terms: Cigarette smokers
- Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00221668
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS
- Created Date: Jun 5 1972 12:00AM