title: The relative risk of involvement in fatal crashes as a function of race/ethnicity and blood alcohol concentration.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The literature presents a puzzling picture of Latinos being overrepresented in alcohol-related crashes, but not in noncrash drinking and driving. This report examines if, like other demographic variables in which some groups are at a higher crash risk than others (e.g., young drivers), different racial/ethnic groups face different crash risks.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study compares blood-alcohol information from the 2006-2007 U.S. Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) with control data from the 2007 U.S. National Roadside Survey. Logistic regression, including a dual interaction between BAC and race/ethnicity, was used to estimate crash risk at different BAC levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was found that, although Hispanic and African-American drivers were less likely to be involved in single-vehicle crashes than their White counterparts, all drivers face similar BAC relative crash risk regardless of their group membership. The overrepresentation of Latino drivers in alcohol-related crashes could be explained by differences in patterns of consumption, driving exposure, lack of awareness of driving rules, and/or socioeconomics.
authors: Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, CALL BOX 9000, Mayagüez, PR 00681-9018, USA. Electronic address: pedro.torres14@upr.edu.
authors: Pedro
authors: P
authors: Torres
authors: Pacific Institute for Research & Evaluation, 11720 Beltsville Drive, Suite 900, Calverton, MD 20705-3111, USA. Electronic address: romano@pire.org.
authors: Eduardo
authors: E
authors: Romano
authors: Pacific Institute for Research & Evaluation, 11720 Beltsville Drive, Suite 900, Calverton, MD 20705-3111, USA. Electronic address: voas@pire.org.
authors: Robert B
authors: RB
authors: Voas
authors: Center for Research on U.S. Latino HIV/AIDS and Drug Abuse, Florida International University, PCA 356, 11200 S.W. 8th Street, Miami, FL 33199, USA. Electronic address: delarosa@fiu.edu.
authors: Mario
authors: M
authors: de la Rosa
authors: Pacific Institute for Research & Evaluation, 11720 Beltsville Drive, Suite 900, Calverton, MD 20705-3111, USA. Electronic address: lacey@pire.org.
authors: John H
authors: JH
authors: Lacey
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality*; D001334:Automobile Driving; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alcohol-related crashes; BAC; Crash risk; Drinking and driving; Race/ethnicity