Citation

Rockerbie RA, Martin GR, Parkin HE. Proc. Int. Counc. Alcohol Drugs Traffic Safety Conf. 1981; 1981: 165-173.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1981, The author(s) and the Council, Publisher International Council on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Compulsory breath-testing for drinking and driving was introduced in parts of Canada in 1957, and became nation-wide in 1969. The validity of blood-testing is also recognized but compliance is not mandatory. Breath-testing, though commonplace, suffers from serious impracticalities for use on those hospitalized and hence its use in such instances is very limited. The principal objectives of this study were to determine the extent of alcohol-related injury accidents; to explore the relationship between severity of injury and the blood alcohol concentration; and to determine whether justification exists for the routine testing of all hospitalized traffic crash victims for alcohol in the blood. Of the 776 consecutive crash victims studied, 728 were tested for alcohol by blood analysis. Those tested consisted of 410 drivers, 245 passengers, 34 pedestrians, and 39 cyclists. The incidence of positive blood alcohol findings was: drivers, 30 percent; passengers and cyclists, 38 percent; pedestrians, 26 percent. Of the 410 drivers tested, 106 exceeded the Canadian legal limit of .08 but only 18 were prosecuted. The presence of injury, shock and the need to bring the injured person to medical aid precluded the collection of sufficient evidence in the remaining 88. Legal provision for mandatory blood testing for alcohol in hospital can provide the evidence needed for law enforcement, and is recommended. Correlations were also drawn between blood alcohol concentrations and degree of injury, duration of hospital stay, and other demographic characteristics. (TRRL)