Crash types: markers of increased risk of alcohol-involved crashes among teen drivers.
OBJECTIVE
Teens drink/drive less often than adults but are more likely to crash when they do drink/drive. This study identified alcohol-related crash types for which teen drivers were at greater risk compared with adults.


METHODS
Michigan State Police crash records for drivers ages 16-19 (teens) and 45-65 years (adults) who experienced at least one crash from 1989 to 1996 were used to create alcohol crash types consisting of alcohol-related crashes that included specific combinations of other crash characteristics, such as drinking and driving at night (i.e., alcohol/nighttime). These data were combined with data from the 1990 and 1995 National Personal Travel Surveys and the 2001 National Household Travel Survey to estimate rates and rate ratios of alcohol-related crash types based on person-miles driven.


RESULTS
Teens were relatively less likely than adults to be involved in alcohol-related crashes but were significantly more likely to be in alcohol-related crashes that included other crash characteristics. Teen males' crash risk was highest when drinking and driving with a passenger, at night, at night with a passenger, and at night on the weekend, and casualties were more likely to result from alcohol-related nighttime crashes. All the highest risk alcohol-related crash types for teen female drinking drivers involved casualties and were most likely to include speeding, passenger presence, and nighttime driving.


CONCLUSIONS
The frequency with which passengers, nighttime or weekend driving, and speeding occurred in the highest risk alcohol-related crash types for teens suggests that these characteristics should be targeted by policies, programs, and enforcement to reduce teen alcohol-related crash rates.
Bingham
C Raymond
CR
University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, 2901 Baxter Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2150, USA. rbingham@umich.edu
Shope
Jean T
JT
Parow
Julie E
JE
Raghunathan
Trivellore E
TE
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult