Alcohol and fatal road accidents: estimates of risk in Australia 1983 (original) (raw)
2007
The incidence of alcohol and illicit drug-related crashes continues to represent a significant road safety concern in Victoria. The advent of the random drug testing program to complement long- running breath test operations highlights the high degree of priority placed on addressing this issue. There is however limited information concerning the individual characteristics of those driving with alcohol and other drugs in their system. Using the National Coroners Information System (NCIS), the aim was to explore person-based characteristics of those killed. The Victorian Road Crash Information System was used to supplement and add value to these observations. From our sample of 2004 cases, 97 drivers, motorcyclists and pedestrians were identified as returning a positive toxicology finding for alcohol and / or another drug. Notably, 49% of these tested positive to alcohol followed by ∆9-THC (20%), and amphetamines (9%). Poly drug use was relatively common. Those killed were predominan...
Crime Prevention and Community Safety
This study aimed to explore how specific situational variables (remoteness, speed zones, days of the week, hours of the day) and risk factors (risky behaviours and road-related conditions) might influence the comparative likelihood and severity of alcohol-related crashes (ARCs). Vehicle crash data (N = 63,226) were analysed and included the details of crashes between 2015 and 2019. In comparison to non-ARCs, ARCs were up to two times more likely to occur in rural areas and on weekdays, and two to four times more likely in the late evening and early morning (6 p.m. to 6 a.m.). In addition, risky road conditions and driving behaviours were found to significantly increase both ARC likelihood and severity, with some factors (e.g., speeding) increasing fatality risk by up to nine times. Overall, this study highlights the specific risks associated with drink driving and highlights situational factors that may increase crash risk.
Alcohol intoxication in drivers in road traffic accidents and violations
Alcoholism and psychiatry research, 2013
INTRODUCTIONRoad traffic injuries have become a global developmental and health issue. The likelihood of accidents in general and accidents with fatal outcomes may depend on a large number of factors. Some among these are the condition of roads, the number of vehicles on the roads, population size, population density, economic situation,1"2 the percentage of young drivers3 in traffic, while some relate to the characteristics of the drivers and the manner of driving. Thus, the researchers found out that the economic growth results in the increase of the number of registered vehicles,1"2 i e. vehicles that are in use and consequently in a larger number of road accidents. With regard to road accidents with fatal outcome, some authors observed their decrease and others increase2 linked to the economic growth. Bener and Crundall4 conclude that the number of accidents with fatal outcome decreases with the growth of the number of vehicle owners. They associate it with the lower n...
Effects of Alcohol on the Geographic Variation of Driver Fatalities in Motor Vehicle Crashes
Academic Emergency Medicine, 2000
Objective: To determine whether the increased risk of dying in a rural vs nonrural motor vehicle crash (MVC) can be attributed to driver demographics, crash characteristics, or police-reported alcohol use. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted, comparing all rural (116,242) and a 20% random sample of nonrural (104,197) Michigan drivers involved in an MVC during 1994-1996. Data consisted of all police-reported traffic crashes on public roadways. A logistic regression model was created, using survival as the dependent variable and gender, age, crash characteristics, and rural or nonrural county as independent variables. Driver alcohol use, as reported by the investigating officer, was introduced into the model, and the effect was analyzed. Results: Nonsurvivors represented 0.2% of the total; 99.8% were survivors. Police-reported alcohol use was reported for 3.9% of drivers. Drivers in rural MVCs were more likely to be male, to be more than 50 years of age, to have been drinking alcohol, and to have more severe vehicle deformation as a result of the MVC. The relative risk (RR) for MVC nonsurvivors was 1.69 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.3 to 2.1] times higher for drivers in rural than nonrural counties. After adjusting for demographic and crash characteristics, the RR was 1.56 (95% CI = 1.2 to 1.9). Controlling for alcohol and its interactions decreased the RR to 1.26 (95% CI = 0.6 to 2.4), a nonsignificant difference between rural and nonrural MVC mortalities. Conclusions: Alcohol use by drivers in Michigan was a significant contributor for nonsurvivors of rural crashes. Efforts to decrease rural MVC mortality must address alcohol use.
Review of the young impaired driver problem in Australia, with a particular focus on New South Wales
This paper reviews the status of alcohol, drugs and traffic safety in Australia, with a focus on the problems posed by young impaired drivers. Alcohol remains the most critical drug for road trauma. The use of common impairing substances other than alcohol among young drivers in Australia will be reviewed. Strategies for combating impaired driving in Australia in recent years include enforcement strategies such as random breath testing, responsible service of alcohol programs, alcohol ignition interlock programs and interventions targeting repeat drink driving offenders for assessment of alcohol dependence, and promotion of the use of personal alcohol breathalyzer devices. Interventions targeting the alcohol industry are also being pursued. Interventions to address drug driving are less common, but include the recent introduction of random roadside drug testing as well as interventions to promote safe celebrating.
Young Impaired Drivers
This paper reviews the status of alcohol, drugs and traffic safety in Australia, with a focus on the problems posed by young impaired drivers. Alcohol remains the most critical drug for road trauma. The use of common impairing substances other than alcohol among young drivers in Australia will be reviewed. Strategies for combating impaired driving in Australia in recent years include enforcement strategies such as random breath testing, responsible service of alcohol programs, alcohol ignition interlock programs and interventions targeting repeat drink driving offenders for assessment of alcohol dependence, and promotion of the use of personal alcohol breathalyzer devices. Interventions targeting the alcohol industry are also being pursued. Interventions to address drug driving are less common, but include the recent introduction of random roadside drug testing as well as interventions to promote safe celebrating.
Road Safety, Alcohol and Public Policy
Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and …, 2005
As one of the leading causes of death and injury that exact a high societal cost, motor vehicle highway crashes are a major public policy concern. The direct economic cost of global road crashes has been estimated conservatively at US$518 billion a year (Peden et al., 2004), with US$207 billion accruing to the European union countries and US$230 billion to the United States of America. Although there are many factors contributing to the frequency and severity of road crashes, drunk driving (also known as drink driving, driving while intoxicated, driving under the influence of alcohol) is among the principal reasons for crashes in many countries. Of the 38,252 fatal crashes in the US in 2003, for example, 40% were alcohol related, a percentage that has remained relatively stable over the past few years. Consistent with this, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in a study based on 2000 US crash data, has estimated that alcohol related crashes imposed a $114.3 billion total cost on society. This Special Issue on Road Safety, Alcohol and Public Policy highlights recent work in highway safety that enlightens our understanding of the relationships that exist between alcohol consumption, driver regulations, and highway safety. The first two papers in the Issue, authored by Vollrath et al. and Mathijssen, respectively, focus upon alcohol related policies in Germany and the Netherlands whereas the next two papers explore the relationship between alcohol consumption and crash severity in New Zealand (Keall and Firth) and the state of Ohio in the United States (Traynor). In their paper, Noland and Karlaftis comparatively analyses alternative statistical methodologies commonly used in highway safety analyses. Each of these papers, although diverse in geographic scope (North American, European, and Australian continents), methodological approach, and policy orientation, provides additional insights on an aspect of alcohol and highway crashes that deepens our understanding of these events and will assist policy-makers charged with implementing highway safety interventions that are more efficacious in reducing the frequency, severity, and societal costs associated with alcohol related crashes. In the highway safety environment, rarely do researchers have an opportunity to analyse the effects of large natural experiments on a country-wide basis. But the reunification of East and West Germany, which led to a number of adjustments in the legal system, provided such an occasion. One significant change for East German motorists was a relaxation of the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit with no change in the legal limit for West German motorists. Combining the results of roadside breath alcohol tests administered to drivers with other data collected from three roadside surveys conducted from 1992 through 1994 in an East German region and a comparable West German region, Vollrath, Kruger, and Lobmann analyse the immediate, short term, and longer term effects of raising the BAC
Drink-driving law enforcement and the legal blood alcohol limit in New South Wales
Accident Analysis & Prevention, 1994
A.bstract-This paper reports the results of a preliminary analysis of daily fatal crashes in New South Wales, Australia, between July 1975 and December 1986. The analysis unexpectedly uncovered a small but statistically significant decline in crashes coinciding with the introduction of a law lowering the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) from .08 to .05 9%. The original aim of the analysis was to develop for a larger study appropriate log-linear techniques to assess the impact of a range of government initiatives, including laws aimed at the drinking driver: increased penalties, the .05 law, and random breath testing (RBT). The analysis showed that RBT immediately reduced fatal crashes by 19.5% overall and by 30% during holiday periods, and that the .OS law, introduced two years before RBT, apparently reduced fatal crashes by 13% on Saturdays. There was no significant effect of the .05 law on any other day of the week, and there was no clear evidence that any other initiative had a statistically significant effect on accidents. Although the apparent impact of the .05 law was small, it is surprising that any effect was discernible, since the law was not extensively advertised and police enforcement was no more intense than is usual over Christmas. However, any effects of the .05 law may not have been sustained if RBT _ 1 had not been introduced two years later.
Trends in impaired driving in Australia in 2010: A status report
Objective. This paper reviews the status of alcohol, drugs and traffic safety in Australia, with emphasis on developments in the period 2008-2010. Methods. Academic and grey literature was examined to identify specific studies and commentaries addressing alcohol, drugs and traffic safety in Australia. As well, records of parliamentary proceedings (Hansard) were examined, as were websites of government agencies, relevant industry bodies and advocacy organisations, and newspaper and other media. Results and Conclusions. Over 30 relevant major reports and papers from 2008-2010 were reviewed, as well as statistical reports, media comment, and legislative debates. Since the early 1970s enforcement and public education campaigns in Australian jurisdictions that specifically target drink driving have been successful, with resultant long-term reduction in alcohol-related road fatalities. There is a high level of community disapproval of drink driving and strong support for countermeasures. ...
The relationship of alcohol safety laws to drinking drivers in fatal crashes
Accident Analysis & Prevention, 2000
This paper presents an analysis of the relationships between the passage of key alcohol safety laws and the number of drinking drivers in fatal-crashes. The study evaluated three major alcohol safety laws (administrative license revocation laws, .10 illegal per se, and 08 illegal per se laws) on the proportion of drinking drivers in fatal crashes. Drivers age 21 and older in fatal crashes at two BAC levels-. 01 to .09, an d .10 or greater-were considered separately. Drivers under age 21 were not included because they are affectE by the Minimum Legal Drinking Age law. This study used data on drinking drivers in fatal crashes from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) covering 16 years from 1982 though 1997 for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Also included in the study were such variables as per-capita alcohol consumption and annual vehicle miles traveled, which could impact the number of alcohol-related crashes. The results indicate that each of the three laws had a significant relationship to the downward trend in alcohol-related fatal crashes in the United States over that period. The paper points out that this long-term trend is not the product of a single law, but the result of the growing impact of several laws over time plus the affect of sour e factors not included in the model tested, such as the increasing!' use of sobriety checkpoints and the media's attention to the drinking-and-driving problem.