DRIVING SPEED, VISION AND BLOOD ALCOHOL IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS

AJONOPEUS, NAEKOEKYKY JA VEREN ALKOHOLI LIIKENNEONNETTOMUUKSISSA

The effects of driving speed, vision and blood alcohol concentration (BAC) on accident risks based on the case-study material of the traffic accident boards of investigation are studied. In addition to data on those who have been involved in an accident, data have been obtained about people who passed by the place of an accident. The study is a limited pilot study. The analysis of the effects of driving speed shows that vehicles travelling 20 kmph or less below the mean-speed of traffic have an accident risk about 15 times as high as the average risk. This result is similar to earlier American studies. The higher risk is mainly applicable to rear-end collisions and overtaking accidents. The visual tests carried out in this study were for static visual acuity, stereopsis and lateral and vertical phorias. As far as present requirements for a driving license (minimum visus of 0.3 and 0.7 for both eyes or 0.8 for the better eye) were fulfilled, static visual acuity did not seem to have any effect on accident risks. Neither did the lack of stereoscopic vision have any effect on traffic safety. Serious defects in lateral phoria seemed to triple the accident risk compared with the average risk. Blood alcohol concentrations exceeding 0.5 percent (50 mg/100 ml) increased the accident risk considerably above normal. The accident material was too small for more precise conclusions. The number of people in vehicles whose BAC was at least 0.1% was greatest during week ends after 6 p.m. (TRRL)

• Corporate Authors:

  Finnish Road Association

  Vironkatu 6
  00170 Helsinki 17,   Finland 
• Authors:
  • Kallberg, V-P
  • Salusjärvi, Markku
• Publication Date: 1979-4

Language

• Finnish

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 49 p.
• Serial:
  • TIE JA LIIKENNE
  • Issue Number: 44

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Blood alcohol levels; Crash rates; Drivers; Hazards; Passing; Rear end crashes; Risk assessment; Speed; Statistics; Traffic crashes; Vision
• Geographic Terms: Finland
• Old TRIS Terms: Driver vision
• ITRD Terms: 1612: Accident rate; 1553: Blood alcohol content; 8035: Finland; 5408: Speed; 6555: Statistics; 2066: Vision
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00309854
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
• Report/Paper Numbers: Monograph
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 26 1980 12:00AM