Drugs and alcohol: Their relative crash risk

This study focuses on the contribution of alcohol and other drugs to crash risk. Specifically, the authors examine three questions: 1) whether being drug positive increases sober (blood alcohol concentration [BAC] = 00%) drivers' risk of being killed in a fatal crash; 2) whether being drug positive increases drinking (BAC > .00%) drivers' risk of being killed in a fatal crash; and 3) whether alcohol and other drugs interact in increasing crash risk. Examining crash cases from the 2006, 2007, and 2008 U.S. Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) with control drug and blood alcohol data from participants in the 2007 U.S. National Roadside Survey, the authors compare blood alcohol concentrations. Their results indicate that testing positive for a drug increases the risk of fatal injury; however, a significantly lower crash risk is associated with drugs than with alcohol. The authors suggest caution in focusing too much on drugged driving so as not to divert resources from the prevention of drunk driving.

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  • Accession Number: 01523351
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Apr 25 2014 4:13PM