title: Alcohol use, driving records, and crash culpability among injured motorcycle drivers.
abstract: Alcohol use, driving records, crash culpability, and crash conviction rates for 165 injured motorcycle drivers (MTCDs) were studied. Of the 165 MTCDs, 53.3% tested positive for alcohol (BAC+). Culpability determinations (n = 150) revealed that 83% of BAC+ and 46% of BAC-MTCDs caused their crashes (p < 0.001). Driving records (n = 145) revealed the following prevalence of one or more convictions for BAC+ and BAC-MTCDs: impaired driving (29% vs. 7%, p < 0.001); speeding (74% vs. 58%, p < 0.05); and reckless driving (68% vs. 44%, p < 0.002). Of the surviving culpable impaired MCTDs (n = 48), 16.7% received crash-related convictions, 12.5% received alcohol-related convictions. The reasons for the low conviction rates are probably multifactorial.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems, Baltimore 21201-1595.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Soderstrom
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Dischinger
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Soderstrom
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000097:blood / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003416:Criminal Law; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D009049:Motorcycles / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol