An analysis of biorhythms and their influence on motor vehicle fatalities

Abstract

The possible effect of proposed cyclic fluctuations of human sensitivity (28 days), intelligence (33 days), and physical (23 days) characteristics on motor vehicle accidents and fatalities was examined. Three methods of calculating these theoretical cycles were also examined. One method, the “Biomate” computer, was found to be unreliable in that it indicated 10.6% more days designated by the theory as critical than were actually present in a 300 case sample. In a sample of 141 motor vehicle fatalities (64 drug-free and 77 drug-associated) no correlation with the theoretical critical days was found for either group beyond that expected from random distribution. No evidence was found to support the increased likelihood of accident involvement on the “critical day” as implied by the concept of the “biorhythm” theory. Several possible sources of error in previously published reports are discussed.