title: The relationship between serious injury and blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in fatal motor vehicle accidents: BAC = 0.01% is associated with significantly more dangerous accidents than BAC = 0.00%.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the severity of automotive injuries associated with blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in increments of 0.01%.
  
  
  METHODS
  Epidemiological study using the Fatality Analysis Reporting System.
  
  
  METHODS
  All people in US fatal automotive accidents, 1994-2008 (n = 1 495 667).
  
  
  METHODS
  The ratio of serious: non-serious injuries for drivers, by BAC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Accident severity increases significantly even when the driver is merely 'buzzed', a finding that persists after standardization for various confounding factors. Three mechanisms mediate between buzzed driving and high accident severity: compared to sober drivers, buzzed drivers are significantly more likely to speed, to be improperly seatbelted and to drive the striking vehicle. In addition, there is a strong 'dose-response' relationship for all three factors in relation to accident severity (e.g. the greater the BAC, the greater the average speed of the driver and the greater the severity of the accident).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The severity of life-threatening motor vehicle accidents increases significantly at blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) far lower than the current US limit of 0.08%. Lowering the legal limit could save lives, prevent serious injuries and reduce financial and social costs associated with motor vehicle accidents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093-0533, USA. dphillips@ucsd.edu
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Kimberly M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Brewer
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001336:Automobiles / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D012307:Risk Factors; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000401:mortality*
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol