Traffic Crashes and Alcohol Outlets in a Brazilian State Capital

Restricting alcohol outlets is being considered as a measure for preventing alcohol-related crashes. However, in many developing countries, alcohol availability is not regulated and its influence on motor vehicle traffic crashes is unknown. This study explores the association between traffic crashes and alcohol outlets in a Brazilian city. Data were geocoded and exploratory analysis was conducted using the kernel density estimator. Two generalized additive models (GAMs) were implemented to predict the factors associated with alcohol-related crashes. For 78% of the 3,840 traffic crashes where the driver was a victim, there was at least one bar located within a 300-m radius. The median distances between an outlet were 124.4 and 130.7 m for a non-alcohol- and alcohol-related crashes, respectively. The GAMs did not make evident any significant association between the outlet locations and alcohol-related crashes: the presence of at least one outlet was associated with alcohol-related crashes with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.94. Alcohol crashes are more likely to be observed among males (OR = 1.58), young drivers vs. those aged 50 years and older (OR = 3.4), and crashes with fatalities (OR = 1.73). The authors conclude that density of alcohol outlets was high all over the city and both alcohol- and non-alcohol-related crashes occurred near an outlet. The study helps to better understand the relationship between alcohol availability and traffic crashes in a middle-income country where licensing/zoning is absent and suggests that measures for restricting the physical availability of alcohol are necessary, even though further studies are still needed.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1080/15389588.2012.690164
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/49192340
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission of Taylor & Francis.
• Authors:
  • De Boni, Raquel
  • Cruz, Oswaldo G
  • Weber, Eliseu
  • Hasenack, Heinrich
  • Lucatelli, Lucio
  • Duarte, Paulina
  • Gracie, Renata
  • Pechansky, Flavio
  • Bastos, Francisco I
• Publication Date: 2013-1

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Maps; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 86-91
• Serial:
  • Traffic Injury Prevention
  • Volume: 14
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: Taylor & Francis
  • ISSN: 1538-9588
  • Serial URL: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/15389588.html

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Age groups; Alcohol use; Crash causes; Crashes; Drinking establishments; Estimating; Fatalities; Mathematical models; Policy, legislation and regulation; Retail trade; Sales
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01483881
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 14 2013 9:34AM