Alcohol consumption among vehicular occupants injured in crashes.
Admission blood alcohol levels (BAL) were obtained in 111 adult passenger/driver pairs injured in vehicular crashes. Drinking patterns were studied, including the influence of the sex of the occupants on alcohol consumption. Alcohol was not a factor in 44 of the crashes. In 48 of 62 crashes (77%), the driver was either the sole drinker or had a higher BAL than the passenger. In five crashes, the passenger was the only drinker. Female drivers were drinking 40% of the time, compared to 60% of male drivers. Overall, 77.4% of the drinking drivers had a BAL of greater than or equal to 100 mg/100 ml. When vehicular occupants were of the same sex, as opposed to both sexes, the drivers drank more frequently (62.9% vs. 43.9%). In 13 of 14 cases of a drinking male driver transporting a female passenger, the female passenger had not been drinking or had done so to a lesser degree. The data indicate that educational efforts should be directed at discouraging passengers from riding with drinking drivers.
D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000150:complications*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000209:etiology*
D000431:Ethanol