Cycling and alcohol.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the accident and the psychosocial circumstances and the consequences of the injuries sustained by intoxicated (alcohol) and sober cyclists in road traffic accidents.


METHODS
A telephone interview was conducted with 207 adults injured 3 years earlier. The group was selected from the list of 1278 cyclists registered at the hospitals in Göteborg in 1995 and 1996. Ninety-five of the 207 had been registered as under the influence of alcohol and 112, registered as sober, constituted a matched group.


RESULTS
Compared with the sober group, the intoxicated cyclists more often sustained their injuries at night time (P<0.001), at the weekend (P<0.001), on their way to or from a party or a pub/restaurant (P<0.001) and in single accidents (P<0.001) with a greater risk of injury to the head or face (P<0.001). They cycled less during the year (P<0.001), were not so familiar with the route (P=0.045) or bicycle (P<0.001), had bicycles without a hand-brake or gears (P=0.045) and less often wore a helmet (P=0.003). Driving licences had been revoked only in the intoxicated group (P=0.02) and nine out of ten who were divorced were from this group (P=0.004).


CONCLUSIONS
Injury prevention for cyclists should aim at altering the attitude towards cycling intoxicated and increasing the use of a helmet. The alternative is a change in the law in both cases.
Andersson
Anna Lena
AL
Kuratorsavdelningen, Department of Geriatrics and Rehabilitation, Uddevalla Hospital, NU Hospital Organization, Uddevalla, Sweden. anna-lena.anderson@vgregion.se
Bunketorp
Olle
O
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000328:Adult; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000150:complications*; D001642:Bicycling / Q000293:injuries*; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000209:etiology; D006260:Head Protective Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology