Case-control study of recidivist drivers involved in fatal highway accidents in Alberta in 1970-72.
A 3-year enpidemiologic study of fatal motor vehicle accidents was carried out by the Alberta Task Force on Highway Accidents. It was found that 11.1% of culpable drivers had been driving while impaired by alcohol on at least one occasion prior to the fatal accident, while only 3.3% of exonerated drivers had previous records. This significant difference led to a case-control study that demonstrated that the recidivist drivers (case group) differed significantly in a number of aspects from the innocent drivers (control group)--notably, age distribution, sex, whether drinking before the accident, blood alcohol concentration, ethnic distribution, class of accident and type of collision. Thus the recidivist driver is a greater threat to highway safety than the innocent driver and needs special attention by legislators and law enforcement agencies.
D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D001334:Automobile Driving; D006801:Humans; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors