Crash Casualties Research Articles

GETTING THE EVIDENCE AND USING IT TO THE BEST ADVANTAGE

The statistical information on blood alcohol levels in road crash fatalities and casualties together with screening breath tests (evidential and non-evidential) can be used to identify drink-drivers in a high alcohol consuming society which has the second highest vehicle ownership per head of population in the world. Control of the drink driving problem can be achieved by short and long term education, plus the deterrent effect of a high predictability of detection by the enforcement of legislation providing severe penalties backed by the courts. Some positive results have been achieved in Australia, particularly in the State of Victoria, where drink driving legislation has been more extensive than in other States.

Compulsory blood alcohol testing of road crash casualties in Victoria: the first three years.

The history, rationale and implementation of legislation for compulsory blood alcohol tests on adult road crash casualties presenting at Victorian hospitals are reviewed. Drinking drivers admitted to casualty departments can now be identified and prosecuted; doctors can obtain blood alcohol test results on road crash casualties without threat of litigation; drinking drivers with alcohol problems may be directed to appropriate re-education or rehabilitation programmes; the opportunity also exists for treatment of non-driver casualties with alcohol problems. In the first three years of testing, 27.1% of 21,863 male driver casualties had blood alcohol concentrations in excess of the legal limit of 0.05 g/100 mL (11 mmol/L), and 13.7% had blood alcohol levels in excess of 0.15 g/100 mL (33 mmol/L); the blood alcohol levels in 8.7% of 9187 female driver casualties exceeded 0.05 g/100 mL, and in 3.7% exceeded 0.15 g/100 mL. Non-drivers had a slightly lower incidence of elevated alcohol concentrations. The implementation of further drink-driving countermeasures, expansion of services for the management of alcohol problems, and development of a national policy directed at prevention of alcohol abuse are recommended.

ALCOHOL, ROAD CRASH CASUALTIES, AND COUNTERMEASURES

Alcohol is a major contributing factor in over one-third of all road fatalities in this community. Almost half the fatalities occur in people aged less than 25 years of age. Results of recent compulsory blood test legislation in Australia and New Zealand are presented and provide incontrovertible evidence of the vast extent of the problem of alcohol on the road. The social and drinking profiles of road crash casualties with blood alcohol concentrations greater than .05 g/100 ml differ from those of other casualties. Countermeasures used in the control of this epidemic include legislation, improved community education, and greater awareness of the need to rehabilitate rather than to penalize.