BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL AND INJURY IN TRAFFIC CRASHES

Information was obtained on motor vehicle crashes investigated by the NC State Highway Patrol within a one-year period. Blood alcohol concentration (bac) data from breath tests, as well as the officer's opinion of driver sobriety, were considered. The analyses support previous studies of the relationship between alcohol and crash characteristics. In addition, analyses were conducted on only those cases for which a bac was available. Crash factors controlled for included speed prior to crash, type of crash (single or multivehicle), safety belt usage, driver age and sex, and model of car. It was found that, independent of other factors associated with driver injury, the higher the bac, the greater the probability that the driver would be seriously injured or killed. It appears that, independent of legal sanctions, higher bac's are associated with greater "punishment," that is, more severe injury in any resulting crash. The findings are supported by animal research investigating the effects of ethanol on response to injury.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Proceedings of the 26th Annual Conference of the American Association for Automotive Medicine, October 4-6, 1982, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
• Corporate Authors:

  American Association for Automotive Medicine

  P.O. Box 222
  Morton Grove, IL  United States  60053
• Authors:
  • HOUSE, E G
  • Waller, P F
  • Stewart, J R
• Conference:
  • 26th Annual Conference of the American Association for Automotive Medicine
  • Location: Ottawa Ontario, Canada
  • Date: 1982-10-4 to 1982-10-6
• Publication Date: 1982

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 349-373
• Monograph Title: PROCEEDINGS 26TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE, OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, OCTOBER 4-6, 1982
• Serial:
  • Issue Number: 26

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alcohol breath tests; Animals; Blood alcohol levels; Crash injury research; Injuries; Injury severity
• Uncontrolled Terms: Severity
• Subject Areas: Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00373655
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jun 30 1983 12:00AM