The impact of alcohol in pedestrian trauma

Abstract

Across the globe, alcohol plays a major role in traffic-related injuries. It impairs the motor and cognitive coordination of drivers leading to motor vehicle collisions, which severely or fatally injure individuals across cultures and socioeconomic spectra. Although most public health initiatives have focused on driver intoxication, there is a high prevalence of alcohol use among pedestrians who are struck by motor vehicles, especially in collisions involving pedestrian fatalities. Alcohol use by pedestrians impairs judgment and coordination leading to risky street-crossing behaviors. Intoxication influences medical management by disrupting the reliability of the physical examination often necessitating expensive imaging modalities to rule out injuries. Alcohol abuse continues to impede traffic safety injury prevention efforts. This article reviews alcohol’s notorious role in traffic safety and pedestrian trauma.