Characteristics of Fatally Injured Drivers with High Blood Alcohol Concentrations (BACs)

Blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers in the Unite States were used to examine the current and historical distributions of BACs and the characteristics of fatally injured drivers by BAC categories, including those with very high BACs. All categories of illegal BACs (0.08% or higher) declined substantially from 1982 to 2002, and declines were similar across BAC categories. Among illegally impaired drivers, the prevalence of several driver and crash characteristics increased systematically, but gradually, with increasing BACs. This study does not support the claim that "hard core drinking drivers" have become a larger part of the problem and have been unaffected by general deterrent approaches.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was presented at the 17th International Conference on Alcohol, Drugs, and Traffic Safety, Glasgow, Scotland, August 8-13, 2004.
• Corporate Authors:

  Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

  1005 North Glebe Road
  Arlington, VA  United States  22201
• Authors:
  • Williams, Allan F
  • McCartt, Anne T
• Publication Date: 2004-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 6p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Blood alcohol levels; Drunk drivers; Drunk driving; Fatalities; Highway safety; Impaired drivers; Legal factors; Passenger vehicles; Traffic crashes; Traffic safety
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Highways; Law; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01000274
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 12 2005 9:47AM